


Flying Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease

by GoodGodHenry



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Archery, Don't copy to another site, Falling In Love, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, HEA, Happily Ever After, Happy Ending, IronHawk - Freeform, M/M, Romance, a little hurt/comfort, au teachers, avengers as teachers, bots, very little angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2020-07-28 21:17:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20070733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodGodHenry/pseuds/GoodGodHenry
Summary: After being kidnapped and almost murdered by Stane, Tony hands over Stark Industries to Pepper and moves to the boonies (‘it’s the suburbs, Tony, just a short drive to the city’).Teaching high school alongside his childhood best friend, Steve; a science project introduces him to a champion archer and suddenly love is in the air.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Readers, 
> 
> My muse demanded an IronHawk pairing so here is what I came up with…. This isn’t a slow burn but it takes a while for Tony to meet Clint. 
> 
> This is a non-powered au. Tony has arc reactor to help with shrapnel from the whole Stane/kidnapping thing but he is not Iron Man. 
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> GoodGodHenry

<---IronHawk---<

Tony looked around his classroom, it was a typical high school classroom, BORING. Long tables with stools instead of individual desks. There were large windows along one wall, featuring the fields behind the school before they turned into the woods. Woods!

Tony shook his head, “I’m stuck in the boonies.”

A knock on the door frame announced Steve Rogers. A family friend who had scooped him up and dragged him out to the middle of nowhere.

“It’s not the boonies, Tony,” Steve sat on top of Tony’s desk, “it’s the suburbs and you can get to the city in under 30 minutes the way you drive.”

Tony turned around slowly, his arms extended as if to show off his classroom, “It’s hell on earth.”

“It’s a bit boring now but the back counters will look good when your equipment is delivered. You just need a few posters to dress up the place.” Steve jumped off the desk and draped his arm around Tony’s shoulders, “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the crew.”

Grumbling, Tony allowed himself to be pulled along.

They ended up in a computer lab that didn’t look like anything like a computer lab. Sure, there were computers everywhere but the room looked more like a clubhouse for teenagers. Movie, TV, and band posters hung on the walls, stickers covered the bookcases, and there was a lounging area in the front of the room where the other teachers were gathered. They relaxed on couches, bean bag chairs, and plush rugs on the floor.

Tony only knew the principal, Maria Hill, and assistant principal, Phil Coulson, from his interview and neither were in the room. Dreading meeting new people, he plastered his media smile on his face.

“Everyone, this is Tony Stark. He’s teaching physics and engineering. He’s been my best friend and arch-nemesis since we were in diapers.”

Rolling his eyes, Tony shoved Steve then waited to be bombarded by questions: Are you THE Tony Stark? Is everything on the news true? Weren’t you tortured? Didn’t you almost die? Did you really give away a multi-billion dollar company to your assistant? Why are you teaching? Aren’t you the richest man in America?

Instead, everyone simply nodded and welcomed him.

“I’m Bruce Banner; I teach Bio and Chem,” the rumpled man in glasses struggled to get out of the bean bag chair until Steve yanked him up like he weighed nothing at all. “Thanks, Steve.” He shook Tony’s hand then flopped back into the chair.

A large man, his long blond hair tied back in a half knot, stood from the fuzzy blue rug (did someone skin a Muppet to make this rug, Tony wondered), unfolding himself and bouncing to his feet, “I’m Thor Odinson, Phys Ed, and I coach all the teams.” He towered over Tony, his muscles bulged as he gestured, “that’s my brother, Loki, over there. He teaches Literature and runs the drama club.”

Turning, Tony spotted a man sitting in the corner. Loki stood, almost as tall as his brother but that is where the similarities ended. He was slim with dark hair and piercing eyes. They shook hands silently, leaving Tony feeling uneasy.

A redhead stood up from the couch, “Hello Tony, I’m Natasha Romanoff. I teach Computer Science. Welcome.”

“That’s the gang,” Steve clapped his shoulder before dragging him to sit on the couch with Natasha, “the other teachers think we are too lenient on the students and we should get back to basics. Phil says he can’t fraternize with us because that will show favoritism. And Maria, well, she is too cool for any of us.”

Over the next two hours, they chatted and ate pizza. Tony enjoyed Bruce and Thor’s company. He wasn’t sure about Natasha, there was more to her but it didn’t make him nervous as Loki had managed with just one look.

In the end, Tony trusted Steve’s judgment on his fellow teachers. Steve had never steered him wrong, with him being stupidly honest and righteous about everything. Tony gave a mock salute as he headed out, “Gotta get some sleep, first day of school is tomorrow.”

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve noticed Natasha is usually shown as cold and standoffish in some stories; I am going with another angle. Her classroom is welcoming and she will be open with the kids but it will take some time for her and Tony to build trust. 
> 
> And because it’s not mentioned, Steve is teaching History.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	2. Chapter 2

<---IronHawk---<

With the first quarter behind him, Tony found himself glancing around his classroom with a critical eye. He had brought new life into the bland room. Colorful diagrams and science posters covered the walls. The back counters held drafting computers, 3D Printers, robotic kits, and handheld power tools. His large power tools were relegated to the back half of the auto shop on the other side of the high school. He had a glass display case for the student projects, showcasing their hard work.

He was so proud of his students, the feeling curled around his stomach making him uneasy. He worked hard on not suppressing his emotions, so it was an adjustment to get used to feeling positive.

It was only a little disconcerting when he felt the warmth swirl around his chest as they learned a new concept or applied their knowledge to the real world. No more of the panicked, ‘I’m having a heart attack’ feeling that he had initially. He hadn’t called Steve to check his pulse or had Jarvis run a medical scan in weeks.

Despite the emotions, teaching was difficult. Tony could admit that it was hard to stay on schedule and keep to the syllabus. Switching from physics to engineering from period to period was tough but not as hard as it was dealing with so many kids, and they were all so different.

Noticing a pair of safety goggles on the floor, Tony crossed the room as Phil came in for their “check-in.” Tucking the goggles into the proper cabinet, Tony joined the assistant principal at the front of the room. They quickly reviewed the second quarter syllabus for engineering as well as Tony’s online gradebook.

“I’m not sure how secure this is, posting grades on the internet,” Phil complained, “what if a student hacks in and changes their grade?”

Tony couldn’t help but laugh, “Agent, this isn’t Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. And my system is secure, even Natasha agrees and is implementing it.”

“For the last time, Tony, I am not a secret agent undercover at a high school. Now about the online gradebook...” Phil stopped when Tony shushed him.

“If a kid learns how to circumvent my security protocols and the authentication system Nat put in place, then the kid should be congratulated and sent to MIT.”

When Phil’s stern look didn’t have an effect on Tony, he changed the subject, “Let’s check in on your physics classes.”

At the end of their meeting, Tony followed Phil out of the classroom but they headed in opposite directions. As he trekked to the computer room, Tony debated buying himself Heelies to get through the hallways faster.

Bruce and Steve were convinced he would break his leg while Thor wholeheartedly approved the idea of wheeled shoes for teachers.

“The hallways are too crowded for you to use them,” Natasha informed them.

Tony was pleased with his new group of colleagues, dare he say it, maybe friends? Steve didn’t count as they were always friends (even when Steve was being a jerk) but Bruce was like a brother, a science brother. And Natasha was brilliant yet brutally honest; Tony adored and feared her. Thor was like a giant puppy, easily excitable and friendly. Loki, on the other hand, was still a mystery. He rarely spoke and looked like he wanted to throw Tony out of the window.

“Is your ‘check-in’ with Phil done?” Steve asked.

Nodding, Tony filled them in, “Agent said no to my Woosh bottle experiment. He was all “No explosions, Tony!” even though it wouldn’t cause an explosion and then he said I have to wait on the fiber optic lesson until the fourth quarter, “we have to stick to the syllabus,” and now I don’t know what to do. I want something more wow. Like hands-on, physical, and memorable. I don’t want to do a rubber band car.”

Bruce made encouraging sounds in agreement, “want to drop eggs from the roof?”

“Lame,” Tony grumbled and curled up on the couch, leaning into Steve, “I don’t want to do the dumb egg drop.”

They allowed him to wallow for several minutes before they packed up and headed home.

<---IronHawk---<

Tony was still grumpy when he arrived home. He pulled into the garage and headed inside to grab an apple before continuing out to the backyard. His workshop stood tall and wide, taking up most of the backlot. He placed his palm on the scanner and said, “Hello, Jarvis.”

“Identity confirmed. Welcome, Sir.”

He may no longer be the CEO of Stark Industries but there was no way he was leaving his specialized technology behind. He had rebuilt his workshop, here in the boonies, and brought his AI, Jarvis, with him. His robot helpers, DUM-E, Butterfingers, and U had also come along despite his threats to donate them to a community college.

“Hit it, Jarvis,” Tony took a bite of his apple as the music began to play and his holographic screens popped up with his latest project.

He woke up U and DUM-E to help him with fabrication and got to work until Jarvis interrupted him, “Sir, Ms. Potts is on the phone.”

Looking around, Tony noticed it was pitch black outside, “what time is it?”

“Tony, it’s after midnight. Have you eaten anything today?” Pepper’s concern could be heard through the workshop speakers.

“Pep of my life, hold on.” Tony cross the room towards one of the cameras, “Jarvis, show me her beautiful face.” A hologram appeared near the camera, “Look at you, in your sexy pajamas, calling me in the middle of the night. Wanna get frisky?”

Pepper rolled her eyes, “I’m in the least sexy set of pajamas and we are done getting frisky, Mr. Stark. I just got off a conference call and I wanted to check on you. Jarvis said you were still awake. He also said you only had an apple and coffee today.”

“Jarvis doesn’t know everything!” Tony gave the mute signal and his AI turned off the microphone, “Dude, you have got to stop tattling on me.”

The AI’s intoned, “Sir, I simply answered Ms. Potts’ question.”

“Tony, stop yelling at poor Jarvis and talk to me.”

He gave the resume signal and apologized, “I did eat at school. Steve made me eat a turkey sandwich with no mayo on whole-wheat bread. No MAYO, Pep. It was absolute torture.”

Tony saw her flinch at the word torture but she smiled quickly, “How is Steve?”

“Steve is a mother hen with no self-control. He keeps force-feeding me and now he wants me to come to another dumb bbq with his dumb husband.”

Pepper sighed, a sigh born of the same conversation for the umpteenth time, “Bucky isn’t dumb. Steve is allowed to have a best friend; you have Rhodey and he has Bucky. He was just lucky that his friendship turned into a happy marriage.”

Pouting, Tony gave her a puppy dog eyes, batting his eyelashes slowly, “I didn’t meet Rhodey until college; Bucky stole Steve in the third grade.”

“I am not having this argument with you again. New topic. How are the bots?”

Rushing across his workshop, Tony grabbed a small metal chassis and a gray panel. He held them up to the camera, “they are getting a little brother.”

They chatted about the soon to be created travel-sized robot until Pepper let out a huge yawn. After saying their goodnights, Tony promised to go to bed when Pepper hung up.

“Okay, Jarvis. Fire up the calculations on Baby-Bot Mark 8.”

The lights dimmed in the workshop, “Sorry, Sir. Miss Potts said it was bedtime.”

Grumbling about traitors, Tony made his way back to the house.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woosh Bottle experiment looks like fun but I saw several videos of classrooms catching on fire… And no matter what, Tony is going to call Phil Coulson: Agent.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	3. Chapter 3

<---IronHawk---<

If Tony was going to have to suffer through another BBQ at Steve’s then he was going to bring a friend. T.P. rolled alongside him; unfinished, his body and programming were at 75% completion.

“Wow, who is this?” Natasha asked as Tony and T.P. made their way into Steve’s house. The small bot got stuck on the door sill so Tony tilted it back and pushed it over the threshold.

Tony patted the robot’s camera/head at waist level as he made introductions, “Teacher’s Pet, T.P. for short. This is Natasha Romanoff. She’s a good one.”

Bucky popped his head out of the kitchen, calling out his hellos when Tony told his robot, “he is not a good one.”

T.P. clicked his claws at Bucky as he rolled towards him. Bucky’s screams could be heard from the backyard.

“For God’s sake, Tony!” Steve admonished his friend after rushing into the house to find his husband standing on top of the coffee table as a tiny robot circled menacingly.

Rolling his eyes, Tony grumbled under his breath about Bucky being a baby.

Not amused, Bucky glared at Tony, “you could have installed a flamethrower in the bot; I’ve learned not to trust you.”

Everyone settled in the backyard, enjoying their burgers and beer. T.P. stuck close to Tony as the inventor explained to Natasha and Bruce the next steps, “his A.I. software is buggy so we are doing a few test runs before I finish up his panels. I was thinking a little hot rod red. Maybe I’ll do blue and gray for school spirit. And off-road style wheels instead of these wheels. He keeps getting stuck.”

Natasha leaned in and looked closer at T.P.’s circuitry, “he’s beautiful. Where will he be as far as artificial intelligence? I’ve heard about Jarvis.”

“Right now he is running on a rudimentary system but I think his next upgrade will put him between U and Jarvis.”

Confused, Bruce asked, “You?”

Steve joined them, passing out cold beers, “Tony has three bots. DUM-E, who is a giant baby. He’s like eight feet tall and can operate a fire extinguisher. Tony coddles him. Then U, just the letter, came along with a camera. And Butterfingers, who is pretty helpful but his pressure sensors didn’t work well when he was activated, thus the name. And Jarvis, who is the coolest and smartest person without a body.”

Tony felt his cheeks reddened as Steve bragged about his bots, “Jarvis is NOT cool. He’s an old fuddy-duddy.”

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Steve pulled up Jarvis’ direct line, “Really? Let’s see what he would have to say about that.”

Tony dropped his plate on Bruce’s lap before tackling Steve into the grass.

They roughhoused around for several minutes before Bucky sauntered over with the garden hose, “get off my husband, Stark.”

“Bite my ass, Buckaroo!”

<---IronHawk---<

For the first time since his kidnapping, Tony was bringing a woman home. Okay, so it was Natasha, and she was not interested in him in that way. And he was man enough to admit that despite her good looks, he wasn’t interested. Not in her, not really, and certainly not in meaningless sex.

So, here he was, sexy as ever, and he was bringing home an even sexier woman to check out his... robots.

Jarvis charmed Natasha, giving her a peek at his code on one of many holographic screens. In awe, she turned around slowly, her hands covering her mouth.

DUM-E offered her a grayish-green shake as U zoomed back and forth trying to get her attention. Butterfingers and T.P. danced around, bending their joints haphazardly as they tried to match the beat of AC/DC blasting through the speakers.

“It’s beautiful. I would never leave,” she said as she accepted the sludgy shake from DUM-E. She caught Tony’s eye as he gestured for her not to drink it. She thanked DUM-E and pretended to sip the noxious concoction.

Tony shook his hips and raised his arms up to dance with his bots, “I don’t know; your classroom is amazing. I’ve never felt a classroom could be warm and welcoming. And the kids just adore you. They even respect you which is impossible with teenagers.”

“I grew up overseas. Life was harsh, parents tough, school was strict. It was just about memorizing, working, working harder. Nothing is good enough. You had to be better, better than your classmates, your cousins, your neighbors’ kids, you had to be the best. It was cold, unfeeling,” Natasha said as she pet U on his chassis.

Snorting, Tony nodded, “yeah, I had a similar upbringing.”

“Learning computers was an escape. I want my students to have a person they can trust, a person they can depend on, a person who isn’t cold or harsh.”

“DUM-E, this conversation is too serious. Can you get us two beers?” Tony sat down on the couch. He patted the seat next to him, inviting Natasha to sit.

Watching DUM-E open a mini-fridge and grasp glass bottles without smashing or dropping them was fascinating. Natasha accepted the cold beers from the bot and handed one to Tony.

They clinked the bottles together as Tony toasted, “To overcoming our past and breaking the cycle of shame.”

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.P. is my favorite little bot. 
> 
> Here is T.P. Fanart by my daughter:  

> 
> Here are two versions of T.P. drawn by my husband
> 
>   
Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	4. Chapter 4

<---IronHawk---<

Despite spending more time with Natasha and getting to know Bruce better, Tony still didn’t feel quite comfortable with the idea of friendship outside of his core group; Rhodey, Pepper, and Steve.

He did consider Happy and Bucky (although the latter begrudgingly) to be friends, but he would never confide in them or reach out to them for help. Maybe now he could add Natasha and Bruce to his casual friends column. Phil and Thor slotted into friendly acquaintances while Loki was firmly in the do not trust column. Tony didn’t have a reason for disliking Loki but he was going with his gut.

His gut had failed him once before, though; Obadiah Stane was proof enough of that.

“That is ridiculous, Tony. He was your father’s partner; he was like a trusted uncle since you were a little boy. Not suspecting that he was a duplicitous bastard is not your failing. No one knew he was going to have you killed,” Pepper’s voice trailed off and she blinked away tears.

Tony sighed, “You knew, Pep. You figured him out.”

“Not until it was too late. But fine, okay. You have a real chance of making good friends here. Natasha and Bruce both seem smart; you totally get off on smart.”

Grumbling about not getting off, Tony changed the topic to ask about the recent security breach at Stark Industries.

Pepper threw her head back and let out a loud laugh, “Happy thought one of the R&D interns was suspicious. Sure enough, the kid was a mole for Hammer.”

“My least favorite person on Earth,” Tony muttered, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

Continuing on, Pepper laughed again, “so instead of firing him, Happy decided to keep him employed and have Woo and Mills provide altered data and specs. Hammer rushed his prototypes with the bad information and put himself behind by at least a year. We had the intern arrested and Jaime Porter in PR let the story slip to a journalist. Hammer Industries’ stock will fall dramatically after the story is published tomorrow.”

Tony joined Pepper, both laughing heartily as they both said, “Justin Fucking Hammer.”

As Pepper signed off their call, she advised Tony to let his guard down a little, “you can’t have too many friends, Tony. Just try. For me?”

Tony nodded, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he signaled for Jarvis to end the call.

Trust and friendship, he thought, went hand in hand. As a young man, he had learned that his family’s fortune and fame had drawn people to him that weren’t interested in friendship. He could assess a person in a matter of seconds, counting on his gut feeling. His gut had known that Justin Hammer was a douchebag the moment they met. His gut has known that Rhodey was a good man and that Pepper was something special. Could he trust his gut when it came to making new friends?

Despite his reputation into rushing into everything, Tony decided to sleep on Bruce’s dinner invitation.

<---IronHawk---<

Steve’s nagging was worse than Pepper’s, leading Tony to attend the dinner party at Bruce Banner’s cozy home. Looking around, he had no idea how the house could hold so many people.

He must have spoken out loud as Betty Ross, Bruce’s wife, answered, “it’s the open floorplan.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Dr. Ross,” Tony said as he assessed the room, “I like the kitchen and the family room are one large space.”

“Call me Betty. Too many doctorates in this house,” she smiled and gestured around the room, “we opted not to have a dining room so the kitchen counter can hold six people, then the family room has plenty of seating options.”

Thinking of his own PhDs, Tony nodded along, "Do you have multiple Ph.D.'s like Bruce?"

“I just have two. Do you know everyone here? Bruce said you have been lifelong friends with Steve and Bucky.”

Unable to help himself, Tony glared at Bucky across the room, “Yes, Steve has been my best friend since we were babies. I recognize the folks from school. Who is the man next to Maria?”

Natasha joined them, handing them beers, “that’s Sam Wilson, Maria’s boyfriend. He’s a counselor at the VA and the youth center.”

The three of them sat the kitchen counter, their stools turned around so they could watch everyone around the room, making small talk until Bruce announced dinner.

After enjoying Bruce’s curry, the group played board games as rock music played quietly overhead. Tony stuck with Natasha, forming their own alliance against the other couples.

Bumping shoulders with her, Tony asked her why she didn’t have a date.

“I am happily single. I usually make my friend, Clint, come with me to social outings but he’s out of town.”

“Is he happily single too?” Tony asked.

Natasha turned to face him, staring at him for a moment before shaking her head, “he’s still looking for the right person. Same as you, I suppose.”

Uncomfortable that she was able to read him, he looked at the game board and saw it was Steve’s turn, “Come on, Rogers. Stop sucking face and play your turn.”

In retaliation, Bucky pulled Steve into a deeper kiss while flipping Tony off simultaneously.

For the next game, drunken Connect 4, they used a tournament-style bracket system. Steve and Bruce were defeated pretty quickly. Steve updated winners on a tacked up piece of butcher paper while Bruce handled the ‘David Attenborough’ style commentary with a terrible British accent.

Bucky and Sam were eliminated followed by Betty and Natasha. It was down to Maria and Tony. While Tony thought he was pretty good at holding his liquor, Maria looked to be stone cold sober. Maria was crowned, literally with a plastic bejeweled crown, and Tony slid off the couch onto the floor to pout.

Steve ended up laying next to him on the floor as the others switched to another game. After several minutes of companionable silence, Steve dragged Tony up so they were leaning against the wall.

“Friends aren’t so bad, eh?”

Sliding closer, Tony burrowed his way into Steve’s arms, leaning his head on his chest, “I guess not.”

They cuddled together until they fell asleep while the raucous party continued around them. There may have been photo evidence of Steve drooling into Tony’s messily styled hair but no one was going to share it with them.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki is not a bad guy in this story. He and Tony just never hit it off and they will probably not be anything more than colleagues. I think Tony would totally hold a little grudge against Bucky for their entire lives.
> 
> The line about Justin Hammer is a quote from Iron Man 2.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	5. Chapter 5

<---IronHawk---<

The students were getting restless and Thanksgiving break was a month away. Tony could handle hormonal moody teens but bored hormonal moody teens were just too much.

“You can’t drink on school property,” Bruce informed Tony as they lounged in the computer lab.

“But they are awful and mean and apathetic all at the same time,” Tony complained, “and then they team up and are nice to one student while collectively hating another. Then they switch it up the next day. My head hurts and I am sure that whiskey will help.”

“Look who I found deflating soccer balls in the gym,” Thor entered the room with Tony’s limited A.I. bot trailing behind him. Teacher’s Pet, or T.P. for short, was beeping morosely, it’s claws and camera hanging low. Its white lab coat had been changed out to a large basketball jersey and there were Sharpie tattoos all over his struts and chassis.

Natasha took a few pictures of the bot before grabbing disinfecting wipes from her cabinet. She and Steve wiped off the silly cartoons and hashtags off the bot.

On his knees in front of the bot, Tony tried to convince T.P. that it wasn’t a member of the basketball team, “You cannot destroy or deflate soccer balls. And you aren’t #baller4life.”

Snickering at first, Bruce couldn’t stop himself from guffawing loudly, “last week, the marching band had him in full uniform and playing cymbals, and the week before that, he was recruited by the yearbook committee. Who do you think will adopt him next?”

Shrugging, Tony rocked back on his heels, “maybe I can put T.P. in charge of my classes. They like him better than me.”

“Maybe you can do a team project, have the kids from Physics and Engineering team up,” Steve suggested.

Wrestling the basketball jersey off of T.P. was more complicated than Tony anticipated, “Since I have to stay with the syllabus, what would fit with Newton’s Laws and Projectile Motion and Modeling? Argh!” Tony yelled out in frustration as he liberated T.P.’s camera from the head hole but the bot stuck his camera through the armhole of the jersey.

“And Tony, if your kids keep picking on each other, let them know that Maria and Phil are setting up the assembly schedule and we could always have another mandatory four-hour bullying assembly.” Steve smirked, “the very idea of having to sit through another sock puppet show usually gets them to behave.”

Giving up on undressing T.P., Tony offered to buy drinks as he led his fellow teachers out of school.

They ended up at a small restaurant, taking up a section in the back to make room for all of them plus a bot. Food and drinks filled the tables. Tony felt relaxed, leaning back and watching everyone.

“Who do you think can eat more? Steve or Thor?” Natasha asked, “I would have said Thor but watching Steve put away that plate all by himself…”

“They seem pretty evenly matched,” Tony said as Thor ordered another platter of appetizers.

Natasha popped a french fry in her mouth and took a sip of water before saying her goodbyes, “I have to pick up a friend from the airport.”

“Your friend who was out of town?” Tony asked as he stood up and stepped out of the way so Natasha could get up from her seat.

“Yeah, Clint was at an archery tournament. He got first place, again,” Natasha bragged, a genuine smile on her face.

“Cool. See you tomorrow,” Tony sat back down and sipped his drink.

Archery wasn’t a common sport. Definitely not a big sport in the city but maybe it was big here in the boonies, Tony rolled his eyes as Steve’s voice popped up in his head, ‘it’s the suburbs, Tony, you know that.’

Distracted, he dropped a few hundred dollar bills on the table before wandering out to his car without saying goodbye.

His phone pinged several times with thank you texts. Tony was surprised as most people expected him to pick up the tab without a thank you. Maybe these people were actually friends.

Several hours later, Tony was still distracted as he worked on improvements to the arc reactor when his random thoughts finally coalesced into a solid idea.

Unaware of the time, Tony had Jarvis calling Natasha. Once she picked up, he shouted, “Archery!”

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” She answered, her voice managing to be both sleepy and annoyed.

“Archery! I can do a group project with both my classes. And it matches the syllabus. Jarvis, what time is it? But your friend, can he do a demonstration? I can show how the bow’s stored potential energy turning into the kinetic energy of an arrow. Then we can model different prototypes and test them.” Tony spoke rapidly, talking over Jarvis’ answer on the time, “Archery! Hell’s Yeah! Do you think Phil will give his stamp of approval?”

“Go. To. Bed. Stark!” Natasha spit out before hanging up the phone.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing of science, especially not psychics so if I got anything wrong, please let me know. I’ve been researching so all my info comes from The Google.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	6. Chapter 6

<---IronHawk---<

T.P. rolled into the computer lab with a thermos in his left claw. Tony strutted in after, unapologetic.

“Well, do you think Phil will go for it? Can I meet your archery buddy? Is there an archery range around here or can we just go out into the field behind the school? That doesn’t count as a field trip, right? I don’t need permission slips, right?”

Natasha accepted the thermos and rubbed T.P on its arm struts. Ignoring Tony, she poured herself a cup of coffee, enjoying the decadent aroma before taking a sip.

“That’s made with imported Italian espresso beans. Pepper sends me a case when she special orders it for S.I. Jarvis said that I needed to apologize for waking you.” Tony paused so he could take a sip from his own travel mug, “Do you think that a bow and arrow would be considered a weapon on school grounds?”

Raising her right eyebrow at him, Natasha stayed quiet until Tony stopped talking.

“What?”

“I am waiting for an apology, Tony.”

“But I brought coffee,” confused, he squinted at her.

“But you never actually apologized. Repeat after me: I’m sorry.”

Rolling his eyes, Tony said ‘I’m sorry’ sarcastically.

“So mature, Stark! You are worse than the students,” Natasha scolded him before giving in, “I’ll ask Clint. I’m sure it will be fine with Phil but you will probably have the students sign the same safety agreement and waiver as you do for them to use the power tools.”

Guiding T.P., Tony headed to his classroom to set up for this day. Instructing T.P. to set out safety glasses at each seat, Tony checked his email then projected the agenda on the board. He wondered what today would bring. After his casual mention of a bullying assembly, his students had settled down and kept the teasing out of his hearing. He was positive that they were still little shits to each other outside his classroom, especially that Eugene kid. He was in two of Tony’s classes and managed to be a jerk while maintaining perfect scores.

During third period, Natasha emailed him with her friend’s contact information. Now, he just had to wait until his planning time during 5th period to make the call.

Grumbling about having to wait, Tony spun in his chair and stood up, “All right you ill mannered heathens, Newton’s first law of motion. ‘Every object in a state of uniform motion will remain in that state of motion unless an external force acts on it.’ What does that even mean? Can someone explain it to me?”

<---IronHawk---<

“Lentil soup or stuffed bell peppers?” Steve asked Tony, his body half folded into the staff refrigerator.

“Soup, please.”

Steve emerged with several glass containers. He thrust some at Tony to set up while he commandeered the microwave. Tony set up their table, placing veggies and fruit in the middle.

“I have to say, this is better than turkey sandwiches with no mayo,” Tony said as he accepted a bowl of hot soup.

“Bucky’s been doubling recipes so we have enough leftovers for lunch. Plus these are all heart healthy.” Steve joined him at the table with his stuffed peppers, “here, squeeze lemon on the soup. Buck’s Lebanese friend showed him how to make this.”

They ate their lunches, talking quietly as other teachers sat at different tables. Normally they enjoyed lunch with Bruce and Thor but they were on cafeteria duty. Tony was not looking forward to that week on his schedule.

Tony rinsed their dishes, loading the dishwasher as Steve tucked away a PB&J sandwich wrapped with a napkin in his pocket, “for later. I have a high metabolism.”

“I’d say you are a product of modern medicine but you ate like this when you were 90 pounds soaking wet,” Tony said snarkily as he left the staff room.

Parking himself in Phil’s chair, Tony put his feet on Phil’s desk and relaxed until the Assistant Principal returned to his office.

“Dr. Stark, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Phil said primly, his mouth downturned slightly.

“Agent Agent, just the man I wanted to see,” Tony pulled his feet down and sat up, “I want to have a guest come in and teach kids archery. I can use it for both Physics and Engineering classes. Steve suggested group projects but rather than just groups by each class, we mix it up and pair Engineering and Physics students together. Of course, there will be overlap but I can have Jarvis ensure that all students groups are evenly matched. At the end of the project, we can have a competition for bow design and distance. And this fits in well with both of the syllabuses, syllabi?” Tony paused to pull his phone from his pocket, “Jarvis, what is the plural of syllabus?”

Phil watched on as Tony Stark took over his office, arguing with his AI, pacing and complaining that Merriam Webster was wrong and that there can’t be two versions of a plural word. As the AI signed off, can AI’s be sarcastic, Phil asked himself, Tony continued rambling as if he never paused.

“Natasha said he is a good friend and that he always wins his competitions, so I think he will be decent. But even if this random archery dude falls through, I like this idea. I am sure I can master a paleolithic weapon. I mean Stark’s are known for weapons but they are modern weapons. I am a certified genius so I am sure I can learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. I don’t want to call this guy if you aren’t on board,” Tony stopped talking and looked at Phil expectantly, “Well, Agent Agent, what do you think?”

“Stark, you can call me Phil or Coulson or AP Coulson. I am not, nor have I been a secret agent,” Phil’s face was eerily blank.

Tony’s left eyebrow hitched up and he pursed his lips, “Mmm hmm.”

“I know Clint Barton. He is good. Possibly one of the best archers in the United States. This would work well; especially for your classes. I like the idea of the group project, combining the classes but this gets tricky when it comes to student schedules,” Phil jotted down notes as he talked.

“He is good,” Tony mimicked Phil, “that is high praise coming from you.”

Shrugging, Phil told Tony to follow up with Clint, “If he is interested, I’ll talk to Maria and make arrangements with the other teachers to accommodate the students’ schedules.”

“It’s been real, Agent Agent,” with a half-assed salute, Tony left Phil’s office.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, Phil’s on board… 
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	7. Chapter 7

<---IronHawk---<

Back in his classroom, Tony pulled his phone from his pocket. Ready to call Clint Barton, Tony’s finger hovered about the green icon. What did he know about this guy? He was Natasha’s friend and Phil knew him. Maybe he should have Jarvis run a background check on him, just to be safe.

“Eh,” Tony muttered; he would make the call then run a check if the dude was interested. Tony pressed the call button.

“Barton’s Fine Woodworking, this is Clint.”

“Hello Clint, this is Tony Stark at Shield High School. Natasha gave me your number.”

“Yeah, you are the teacher who wants to use archery to teach science?”

“Yup,” Tony popped the ‘p’ as he answered, “you interested?”

Clint laughed, “direct, aren’t you? Depends on what you have in mind. I am happy to do a demo or teach the kids how to shoot.”

Over the next several minutes, Tony explained his project, “it would take some time, probably to the end of the year to create 3D prototypes but I think I would just have you come in once a week to check in with the groups.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

Tony hummed for a moment, “okay, I will get things squared away with our administration but once everything is approved, can you do a demonstration? And do you have different types of bows?”

“I’ve got a bunch to show off but for your students. For this project, maybe you focus on traditional bows and recurve bows. Also, do you want the kids to try to shoot? How big are teenagers? Like adult-sized or kid-sized?”

Tony chuckled at his ridiculously phrased question, “Some of my students are small, like under 5 feet, and others look like fully grown adults. I mistook one kid for a teacher at the beginning of the year. He had a beard and pressed khakis so it’s totally not my fault.”

Clint laughed again then tried to control himself so it came out as a chortle. Tony was starting to like this guy.

“Okay, I will bring a bunch with different draw strengths. Sound good?”

Promising to call him back when he had more information, Tony signed off, “Talk to you soon, Robin Hood.”

<---IronHawk---<

Jarvis created student groups, no more than five kids, and identified which classes students would be missing to participate. Tony forwarded the spreadsheets to Phil and started his outlining the project rubric.

Over the next few days, Phil and Maria met with the teachers and officially approved the project. About thirty students would need to swap class periods and some teachers offered to alter assignments to allow students to expand on their project experiences.

Pleased with the administration and other teachers, Tony headed home to spend time with his bots. Loading T.P. into his passenger seat, Tony asked Jarvis to text Clint.

“Jarvis, ask if he could come by after school this week for a demo? Also, ask if it would be easier if I came to him. Oooh, and order pizza for dinner.”

“Of course, Sir. Shall I add a salad? Your cholesterol levels…”

“They are fine. Steve has been force-feeding me a _heart healthy diet_,” Tony deepened his voice to copy Steve’s, “but, what the hell, throw in a salad.”

At home, Tony helped T.P. out of the car and it zoomed from the garage through the yard and into the workshop. Beeping excitedly, the other bots gathered around its tiny frame, clicking their claws and pointing their cameras at each other.

Tony told them hello as he opened S.I.’s latest project from R&D. He threw holograms up into the air and gave each section a cursory glance before pulling one forward to examine further.

In the middle of adjusting a calculation, Tony was interrupted by T.P. rolling into him several times. “Huh?” Tony turned and looked at the small bot, who had backed up, ready to roll into him again. It thrust a pizza box at him, a plastic bag dangling from it’s claw.

“When did the pizza guy get here?”

Jarris gave a long-suffering sigh, “Sir, I tried to get your attention but you were immersed. I had T.P. get the pizza, the delivery driver knows him. Keegan Andrews; he is in your third period. He gave T.P. a pizza sticker.”

T.P. turned around and showed off a small sticker, in between the school mascot and a Tesla coil stickers on his chassis.

“Lookin’ good, T.P.” Tony accepted the pizza and asked the bot to drop the bag on the table.

“Sir, your salad. You have several text messages and Colonel Rhodes has asked that you call him at your earliest convenience.”

Shoveling a slice of pizza in his mouth, Tony moaned heartily, “so good.” Finishing the first slice, he grabbed another before pulling the salad from the bag, “I am guessing that you paraphrased what Rhodey said? Pull up my text messages and call Rhodey.”

Tony read through the Happy Hour group texts from his fellow teachers, a dinner invite from Steve and his idiot husband, and a reply from Clint.

“I’m thinking of coming to visit you,” Rhodey appeared on another holographic screen.

Squinting at the screen, Tony exclaimed, “are you in the can?”

Rhodey panned his phone around to show a destroyed bathroom, exposed pipes and broken tiles, “yeah, there was a plumbing issue in my building. I can hit a hotel for the next two weeks or come visit you.”

“Come on over. I have a room ready for you, as always, but I have to work. There isn’t much to do here. Oh, you could be a guest speaker for my classes.”

“I have plenty of work to keep me busy but I can talk to your students,” Rhodey continued moving through the bathroom, grabbing toiletries before walking into his bedroom. He pointed his camera towards the ground, “look, the leak also destroyed my bedroom carpet.”

“Can you fly up tonight?” Tony spun around to pull up another screen, he asked Jarvis, “where is the S.I. jet?”

“Nah, man, I’ll drive up. It shouldn’t take more than two hours.” Rhodey sighed, “I’ll blast some tunes and get some junk food.”

“It’s too late to get matching pajamas. We’ll have to settle for watching movies and braiding each other’s hair.”

Grinning, Rhodey rubbed his closely shaved head, “see you in a few hours, Tones.”

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh first conversation with Clint went well! 
> 
> On the high school student sizes, holy moly. Back in my day (yes, I’m old), we had one senior that could grow a beard and a few boys who could grow mustaches (sparse ones but they counted). At my kids’ school, we have HUGE men who are barely old enough to drive. What the what? Also, my son’s algebra teacher looked like she was 14 so it’s quite a range…
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:   
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	8. Chapter 8

<---IronHawk---<

With Rhodey arriving in a couple of hours, Tony shut down his projects and sent the bots to their charging stations. Grabbing the pizza box and untouched salad, he made his way to the house.

Since he didn’t use his home for much outside of sleeping and bathing, Tony had minimal technology throughout the house. Sure, his appliances and systems were managed by Jarvis, but he only had a few cameras and projectors. He had a speaker and a camera in every room but any conversations with Jarvis were glitchy when Tony moved from room to room.

He wandered into the kitchen, placing the food in the fridge. It was the only food in the fridge. He had two bottles of champagne chilling on one shelf and a bottle of hot sauce in the door.

“Uh, Jarvis? Does the grocery store offer delivery?”

“No, Sir. They accept online orders. Would you like me to place an order for you to pick up in the morning?”

Tony ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up in the back, “yeah, I can pick it up around seven and run it back here before school. How is Rhodey’s room? I assume it’s still good since the cleaning service came through last month.”

“I would recommend airing out the room and running a dust cloth along the furniture.”

He grabbed a dust rag and bedsheets from the linen closet and headed to Rhodey’s room. It was a simple room: bed, dresser, nightstand. Personalizing it, Tony had added a bookcase with his friend’s favorite books and a full wardrobe of business and casual clothing.

He looked around the bedroom; the color scheme was simple, black and gray, unlike Pepper’s mostly white room across the hall. Tony opened the curtains and pushed up the blinds before opening the window. A cool breeze came through as he dusted the room. He placed fresh sheets on the bed and remade it.

Stopping by the linen closet again, Tony pulled out a stack of towels and placed them in the bathroom.

“What else, Jarvis?”

With Jarvis’ approval the guest room, Tony made his way down to the family room and settled in front of the tv. Without being asked, Jarvis queued up Star Trek as Tony began responding to his text messages on his phone.

Tony agreed to meet Clint at 4pm the next day at school, calling him Legolas.

Then he tapped out a confirmation to Happy Hour, adding he would be bringing a friend. He wrote out a longer message to Steve, informing him that Rhodey would be in town and they would both be at dinner.

Tony’s phone blew up with multiple replies from Steve:

Steve: The more the merrier. Bucky is planning to make a batch of green chili.  
Steve: Usually end up with five quarts of chili.  
Steve: Tell Rhodey that I said Hi.  
Steve: And Bucky says he’ll tone down the heat in the chili since “Chair Force” guys are weak.

Rolling his eyes at his friend, Tony tapped out a reply.

Tony: I’ll let Rhodey and Bucky have their military squabble on their own.

Another message popped up from Clint, a gif of Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Tony couldn’t help but smile at his phone.

<---IronHawk---<

Rolling out of bed, Tony showered quickly and hopped out to get dressed. He and Rhodey had stayed up for hours, catching up and eating. Tony had provided most of a large pizza and a small salad (picked clean of tomatoes), and Rhodey had Twizzlers, a half-empty bag of cheese puffs, and a large bag of M&Ms.

Having run on less sleep and even less food, Tony felt pretty good as he cruised down to the grocery store. Jarvis had told him to park in a specific spot and text the store his order number. Within a minute, a side door opened and an employee wheeled out a cart filled with bags.

“How much did Jarvis order?” Tony asked himself.

He returned home and unloaded ten brown paper bags of groceries. Rhodey padded into the kitchen in his Woody Woodpecker pajama pants and started scrambling eggs, ignoring Tony and Jarvis’ loud argument about basics.

“Sir, butter, syrup, and ketchup are staples of a household. As are bread, cold cuts, and vegetables.”

“Vegetables aren’t even real,” Tony muttered as he started the coffee maker.

Begrudgingly, Tony could admit to himself that eggs and toast were pretty good in the morning. He kept quiet until Rhodey had finished his second cup of coffee.

“Will you be okay, today? You are keyed into the workshop in the backyard. And you have Jarvis.”

Refilling Tony’s cup, then his own, Rhodey lifted his mug up towards the ceiling, “I can always count on you, Jarvis.”

“You humble me, Colonel.”

Tony continued, “I have school all day then meeting some dude for a project. Steve invited us to dinner tonight.”

Rhodey nodded, “sounds good. I have plenty of work to keep me occupied.”

“Oh, and I was thinking Friday, you could be a guest speaker for my classes? Then Happy Hour after.”

“Meeting your friends, you mean. I am so proud of you,” Advancing on Tony, Rhodey pulled the struggling man into a tight hug, “putting your guard down; making friends.”

“Whatever,” Tony muttered as he stopped pushing away and allowed himself to be hugged.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who is showing up in the next chapter?? 
> 
> Oh yeah, google Vegetables. They aren’t real because they aren’t. Mind Blown! 
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	9. Chapter 9

<---IronHawk---<

Arriving at school, Tony put the daily agenda up on the screen before sending Phil an email, telling him that Rhodey will be his guest speaker on Friday. He included a link to Rhodey’s bio on the Air Force website.

He kept his students’ attention and only had to pointedly clear this throat at a couple in the hallway. Generally lax with hand-holding and kissing, he wasn’t about to allow hormonally charged teens put their hands under each other’s clothes in public.

Lunch with his group was fun as Thor told childhood stories. Steve and Bruce didn’t believe most of the antics the Odinson brothers got up to but Tony only needed to glance at Loki to see that the stories were not embellished. Adding snakes to his mental list of things to fear, Tony moved his chair a little further away from Loki.

As the school day wrapped up, Tony dismissed his students when a shiny reflection caught his eye. Crossing the room, he went to the windows at the back of the room. He could see T.P. rolling across the field, his basketball jersey flapping around his chassis as he hit bumps on the ground.

“What in the…” Tony trailed off as he saw a man in the distance grabbing hay bales from a wagon.

Tony hurried from the building and started towards the woods. As he got closer, he saw Clint, at least he hoped it was Clint, chatting with T.P. as he set up another bale.

“Okay, now 70 meters. Can you measure that?” Clint patted T.P.’s camera, “You are very helpful. I’ll bet I wouldn’t need to measure twice, cut once with you around.”

He must have heard Tony walking up as he turned to face him, his hand held up in greeting, “You must be Tony.”

Messy dark blond hair, sparkling gray-blue eyes with laugh lines, slim purple shells cupped the back of his ears, must be hearing aids, oh those full lips that couldn’t help themselves but tug into a smile; basically his entire face captured Tony’s interest. Then Tony saw those wide shoulders and toned arms. Tony held back a moan as Clint’s biceps flexed and relaxed through his fitted shirt when he dropped the hay bale. This man should wear nothing but sleeveless shirts, Tony thought. He wouldn’t allow his eyes to go lower as he found his words, “You must be Robin Hood. Where is your Maid Marian?”

Clint laughed, nodding to T.P., “do you think I can get a long wig on his camera?”

Walking the last few steps, Tony stood in front of Clint, offering his hand, “Nice to meet you. How did you hook up with T.P. here?”

Workman’s hands, Tony thought as Clint’s large, calloused hand engulfed his.

Clint grabbed another hay bale, “Okay, T.P. Now 80 meters.” He followed the small bot and dropped the bale, “Nat told me about him. He was playing the xylophone with the marching band but he made his way back here. I think he was curious so I explained what I was doing. He’s really smart, Tony.”

“He is,” Tony couldn’t help but smile indulgently at his baby bot, “What are you doing?”

Continuing on, Clint placed the last bale ten meters away with T.P.’s help. Reaching into the wagon, he bent over and grabbed a large paper target, placing it on the front of the hay bale. Tony couldn’t keep his eyes off of Clint’s rounded ass as his jeans pulled taut and missed what the man had said.

“Hmm?”

Turning around to look at Tony, Clint caught him staring. He smirked then winked, “I was saying that I am setting up standard archery targets from 10 meters to 90 meters. Good for everyone, beginners and up.”

Tony didn’t blush at being busted ogling the man or at Clint’s wink, he liked what he saw and he wasn’t ashamed. Flashing a flirty smile back at the archer, Tony gestured towards the last hay bale, “90 meters seems kind of far.”

“Not for experienced archers,” Clint grabbed the wagon handle and gestured back towards the school. The men and the bot walked together as Clint explained, “the Olympic distance is 70 meters.”

“Natasha said you were good. Can you reach 90 meters?”

The archer shrugged casually, “well yeah, but lots of archers can do that.”

Tony glanced to the side, watching Clint as he walked to each bale, attaching targets. He seemed relaxed, loose, but he was strong, confident.

Finally, at the front of the field, Clint pushed the wagon out of the way and gestured towards a large pickup truck in the parking lot.

“Let me grab my bows and I’ll show you what I can do.”

Biting his tongue hard, Tony held back the innuendo, “sounds good.”

He watched Clint walk away, his eyes darting from his shoulders to his ass. Groaning, Tony reminded himself that he was at school.

<---IronHawk---<

Tony could wax poetic about Clint’s ass and arms but once he saw the man shoot, Tony was a goner.

Clint had showed him several bows, recurve and traditional. Giving several to Tony to examine and try the draw strength, Clint grabbed his favorite bow and a quiver full of arrows. He shot three in a row, hitting the bullseye on the 10, 20, and 30 meters.

“Wanna try?” He asked Tony.

Assessing Clint, Tony shook his head, “you said you could hit 90 meters?”

“Sure,” Clint angled his body towards the targets. Facing away from the hay bales, Clint locked eyes with Tony before he fired off arrow after arrow. Without looking!

Breathless, Tony stared in awe. Clint’s stance firm, his arms moving so fast they blurred.The twang of the bowstring stretched into one long sound as he emptied his quiver.

Tony knew that each arrow had hit based on the thudding sound they made as they landed one second after another but he didn’t expect them to each hit dead center in the middle red circle. He raised his hand, blocking the strong afternoon sun from his eyes, and he looked at the hay bales in the distance. Each arrow was in the center and Clint hadn’t even been looking. He had been staring at Tony when he shot six arrows, each one 10 meters further from the previous one.

A smug smile sat on Clint’s face as he watched Tony’s reaction.

Once Tony was able to form words, he grinned broadly at Clint, “Marry me?”

A deep laugh rumbled from the other man. Clint lowered his bow and stepped closer to Tony, “Dinner first?”

Tony couldn’t stop staring at Clint’s ruggedly handsome face, trying to memorize it, “Yes, on dinner. We can discuss if you want a big flashy wedding later but for now, show me how you did that.”

“I’d prefer a small wedding. Anyway, are you free Saturday night? Burgers and beer?” Clint turned and bent down by T.P. “Hey little buddy, can you go out there and grab the arrows?”

As the bot rolled away, Clint gestured for Tony to take his bow. He helped Tony get into position, shifting his shoulders, his hips, and widening his stance. Together, they pulled back the bowstring, Clint’s hands on Tony’s shoulders and back, “do you feel the pull? Once you have the positioning right, it’s just a matter of aiming.”

“Yeah, I definitely feel the pull,” Tony couldn’t help but lean back for a moment, to feel Clint’s weight behind him, the heat of his body pressed up against his. Suddenly, he felt Clint’s breath against his ear. Groaning softly, Tony closed his eyes and dropped his head back onto Clint’s strong shoulder.

“Maybe we can skip dinner?” Clint’s voice was a husky whisper as he placed his arms along Tony’s. His hands wrapped over Tony’s as he pulled the string back slowly, aiming the arrow and releasing.

As the arrow sunk into the middle of the 40 meter target, Tony felt as if he was on fire. His arms, shoulders, and back tingled from the vibration of the bow. He turned in Clint’s arms and stared into his blue eyes, “that is the sexiest thing I have ever done. It was electrifying.”

Clint threw his head back as he laughed, his hands slid up Tony’s arms then lightly squeezed his biceps, “then you must be doing something wrong.”

T.P. rolled back in, arrows clutched in his shiny claw, interrupting their moment.

Coming to their senses, the men stepped apart. Clint grabbed his bows, explaining the differences between the traditional and recurve bow.

“I use the recurve bow for its lightness but at heart, the traditional bow is my go-to, my favorite.”

Tony studied the bows, turning them over in his hands, his mind calculating distance, weight, pressure. After fifteen minutes of reviewing, Tony nodded at Clint, “We’ll have two categories and each group can make modifications to their bows. There are too many factors to include the arrows for this project. If all goes well, next time we can try different types of arrows.”

Clint couldn’t help but smile indulgently as Tony got going, rambling about materials for arrows, natural and synthetic. He ended up tugging Tony into a hug as he came up with ideas for trick arrows, “you are something else, aren’t you?”

Deciding to leave the hay bales, Tony and Clint walked back and forth, pulling the target sheets from them.

“No point in encouraging the kids to start shooting targets before the project begins,” said Tony.

They loaded the bows back into Clint’s truck. Blocking Clint from getting in, Tony leaned against the driver’s door, “Saturday?”

“Definitely. I’ll text you.”

“See you then, Katniss!” Tony pushed off from the door, pecked Clint on the lips and sauntered away.

Smirking, he knew that Clint was enjoying the view of his ass in the fitted dress pants as he strutted away.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They met, proposed, organized a date, and then got their first kiss done in one afternoon.  
  
Come freakout with me on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>  



	10. Chapter 10

<---IronHawk---<

“Jarvis, Rhodey, I’m in love! Capital L Love!” Tony burst into his house, “I’m getting married!”

“Congratulations, Sir,” Jarvis said dryly.

Rhodey rolled his eyes and closed his laptop. He crossed to the kitchen and grabbed a six pack of beer from the fridge, “Are you ready for dinner? I thought a Mexican lager would go well with green chili.”

“Really? That’s your reaction?” Tony placed his hand over his heart, “you wound me.”

“Dude, love and marriage?” Rhodey shoved Tony back towards the door, “Good night, Jarvis.”

They climbed into Tony’s car and started towards Steve and Bucky’s house.

Sensing that he had hurt Tony’s feelings, Rhodey punched Tony’s shoulder lightly, “Man, you won’t consider dating and now you are talking about love and marriage? How long have you known this person?”

Tony’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, “Okay, I swear I am not crazy and I just met him today but I felt something. He’s amazing with a bow and arrow and he is so good looking. Not in a pretty boy kind of way, he’s rugged and built, and his eyes. He’s guarded and flirty and sweet and private. I don’t know but I want to spend time with him and date him and everything else.”

“He made that much of an impression on you?”

Tony’s voice dropped to a hoarse whisper, “he treated T.P. like a person.”

“Oh Tones, you are a goner.”

“Yup, I’m taking him to dinner on Saturday,” Tony smiled, “cheeseburgers and beer.”

At dinner, the four longtime friends caught up before devolving into Bucky ribbing Rhodey about their different military branches.

Steve handed Tony a beer and dragged him into the living room, “which one do you think will say ‘at least you aren’t navy,’ this time?”

Tony laughed but was quickly distracted by his text alert. Clint had asked if he preferred Mel’s Diner or Greenway Tavern for burgers. He handed his phone to Steve and asked, “what’s better?”

“You met Clint? Isn’t he great? He did the lobby of Bucky’s gym,” Steve seemed to catch on as a new text popped up with a winky face, “wait, are you going for burgers as friends or is this a date?”

“A date,” Tony debated repeating the marriage announcement debacle with Rhodey then decided he couldn’t hold back, “I’m gonna marry him, Steve.”

After a few seconds, Steve’s face went from thoughtful to happy, “I’m calling Best Man.”

Blinking in surprise, Tony felt a sense of relief before nodding.

Steve pulled him into a hug, giving him a hard squeeze before rocking him lightly, “I’d say Greenway’s. It offers more privacy otherwise the whole school will know you are on a date. Half the students work at Mel’s.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Steve smiled, “I am really glad you are getting out there. Clint’s a great guy.”

<---IronHawk---<

Tony and Clint texted throughout the week. Tony had shared his students’ reactions to the engineering and physics archery project, now called EPAP. Clint filled Tony in on his current project, custom bookcases for the library’s rare books section. They argued over cult movies and ridiculous tv shows. They agreed on music; Tony even listening to new bands on Clint’s recommendation.

At Happy Hour with his colleagues, Natasha overhead Steve asking about his date the next night.

“So it’s true? You are going out with Clint?” She stared impassively at Tony until he squirmed in his seat, tugging at his shirt collar.

“How do you do that?” He asked her before admitting he had a date, “Tomorrow night, meeting at Greenway’s at seven. I’m going to bring him a bouquet of arrows because flowers are too pedestrian.”

“Oh no,” Natasha said, “you are smitten.”

“I’m going to marry him,” Tony said without hesitation.

“Clint said the same thing,” Natasha caught Steve’s eye, “I thought it was just Clint being overly dramatic. These two idiots are going to get married, aren’t they?”

Good naturedly, Steve refilled her margarita from the pitcher on the table, “I’m going to be best man.”

Natasha clinked her glass against Steve’s, “so am I.”

The next night, Tony had showered and shaved, touching up his stylized beard. He dabbed on his favorite cologne and slipped into royal blue boxer briefs. After styling his hair, Tony admired himself in the mirror. He looked good, his body lean and strong, his skin paler than he liked but he looked damn good. Now, he just needed clothes.

His bedroom was a disaster, clothes piled on the bed, chair, and dresser. The piles grew as Rhodey and Bucky argued over what he should wear. Tony climbed on the bed where Steve was lounging, doodling in his sketchbook.

“Dude, this guy looks like Bruce,” Tony commented on Steve’s comic character.

“Yeah. I’m thinking of making a comic similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Mild mannered scientist that turns into a rage monster.”

“Maybe you should be teaching art instead of history.”

They were interrupted by Rhodey holding up a black and silver striped button-up shirt and black dress pants, “Tones, I have the perfect outfit.”

Bucky presented black jeans and a simple charcoal gray sweater as he rolled his eyes, “they are going to a tavern. Needs to be casual.”

They bickered until Steve offered to help. All three men turned in unison and said “No!”

“Sorry, Steve. You dress like a 90 year old man,” Tony said as Rhodey nodded in agreement.

Bucky winked at his husband, “Babe, I want you even if you dress like a 90 year old man.”

Clambering off the bed, Tony stepped into the closet and grabbed one of his vintage t-shirts, before slipping into dark blue jeans. He topped it off his outfit with a fitted black suit jacket.

Hopping from one foot to the other, he tried to shove his feet into his favorite Star Wars socks. Giving up, he leaned against the wall to finish putting on his socks, then his black leather loafers. Shoving a pile of clothes off his dresser, he reached into his valet to grab a watch with a blue face and black leather strap. Tony looked at his reflection in the mirror; he fixed his hair before taking a deep breath.

Completing a slow spin, Tony smiled as all three men smiled and nodded at his choices.

Tony grabbed the arrows with gold and red fletchings tied with gold ribbon and called out over his shoulder as he left the room, “Wish me luck!”

“Good luck,” his friends chorused.

<---IronHawk---<


	11. Chapter 11

<---IronHawk---<

Tony didn’t experience nerves like the average person. He had been paraded around in front of shareholders since he was in short pants. He had paparazzi following him since college and then there was that huge media storm after the whole kidnapping/Stane thing. He knew how to handle himself and keep his emotions in check.

But he could admit that he was just a teeny bit nervous about meeting Clint. He wanted this date to go well. With high hopes for this evening; he worried that he had built Clint up in his head and reality wouldn’t match. So, possibly, he was nervous.

Not enough to slow him down, of course. Tony strode confidently into the tavern, removing his sunglasses as he entered the dim entryway. He dropped his sunglasses into his jacket pocket as he saw Clint up ahead by the hostess stand.

Clint was sporting tight black jeans, good lord, were they painted on, and a well-worn leather jacket with the collar popped up slightly. He must have sensed Tony behind him because he turned, his face breaking into a big smile.

Tony returned the smile but he took a minute to appreciate the man in front of him. His dark blond hair, artfully tousled, his sharp eyes somehow looking gray, weren’t his eyes blue? Must be the lighting. The jacket covered up a simple button-up shirt, tucked into the tight tight jeans. Do not stare at the man’s crotch, Tony told himself as he looked down Clint’s legs to see his work boots, looking freshly polished.

Both men stepped towards each other, Tony thrusting the bouquet of arrows forward as Clint tried to hand him a white box. They laughed before Clint’s shout drew all eyes towards them.

“Holy shit! Are you serious? These are amazing!”

Tony watched as Clint accepted the arrows, flipping them up and down to run his fingers over the fletchings then up the shaft to the arrow tips, “God, you make that look so obscene.”

Clint smirked, “so, you like watching me stroke my…”

Grabbing the man by the lapels of his jacket, Tony pulled Clint into a deep kiss, God his mouth was hot, before he could finish his sentence. Tony couldn’t stop himself from continuing to explore Clint’s warm, wet mouth.

The hostess’s throat clearing brought them out of their haze. Ending the kiss with a quick peck on the lips, Tony nodded to her, “table for two, please.”

The older woman clucked her tongue as if they were naughty children, “I’ll put you two in a booth near the back for privacy.”

They followed her to a round booth with tall walls, sitting down across from each other. Clint placed his arrows on the table next to his cutlery, caressing them absently as he pushed the flat white box towards Tony, “So, this isn’t a gift for you per se.”

Quirking his left eyebrow, Tony pulled the top of the box off. Buried in layers of tissue paper, there were three bowties, a tie, and a piece of kelly green fabric. Curious, Tony grabbed the thick green material out of the box. It was a woodsman’s hat with a feather. The kind that had been worn by Errol Flynn, the Disney fox, and Carey Elwes in various Robin Hood movies.

“The hat is for T.P. He seemed to have fun the other day and I noticed he liked to dress up. And you made all those archery jokes. My friend, Darcy, made it for him. It should fit his camera but if it doesn’t, she said she can adjust it,” Clint looked so earnest and worried.

“He will love it. I love it.” Feeling his chest warm up, Tony reminded himself that he wasn’t experiencing a heart attack as he reached out his hand to grasp Clint’s across the tabletop. Emotions were going to be the true death of him, he thought.

They were interrupted by their server, “Good evening, my name is Christy. May I take your order?”

“Ah, hi. Can I get the smokehouse bacon cheeseburger with fries? And whatever porter you have on tap.”

Tony smiled at Christy, “I’ll have the same.”

“Medium on the burgers?” She asked as both men nodded, “I’ll be right back with your beers.”

Turning his focus back on Clint, Tony squeezed their clasped hands, “the bowties and tie?”

“I haven’t met your other bots and I’ve heard so much about Jarvis from Nat and you, so I wanted to get them something. It’s not personal cause I don’t know them. I don’t even know if you can get bowties on them? And Jarvis seems like he’s the big boss, ya know? He needed a nice silk tie to set him apart but he doesn’t have a body so Natasha said maybe you could add it to one of his main workshop cameras.”

Tony could admit he probably looked undignified as his mouth hung open while Clint rambled about his bots.

“It’s just, well, they are your children and I want to make a good impression,” Clint finished as their server arrived with their beers.

Once they were alone, Tony slid around the booth bench until he was right up against Clint. His hands moved on their own accord, to cup Clint’s face. His thumbs caressed Clint’s cheekbones and Tony leaned in close, capturing his lips, “you are something else.”

They rested their foreheads together, both their hands now cupping the other’s face. Clint wove his fingers back into Tony’s hair and sighed happily.

Somehow, they were able to pull apart long enough to devour their burgers. They chatted, the conversation not slowing as the evening flew by. Long after the table had been cleared, Tony found himself still engaged in Clint’s stories.

“Okay, I am not buying the hitching across Europe when you were a young twink seducing Natasha story,” Tony smiled indulgently.

“Twink! As if! I was built and I’ll have you know I was just as popular with the ladies,” Clint raised his empty glass at their server. He pointed to Tony and himself and mouthed ‘thanks.” He turned his attention back to Tony, “Anyway, I didn’t want to go to college or join the army, so I got my passport and all the money I had been squirreling away and booked a flight to London.”

Christy arrived with their beers, “anything else, gentlemen?”

“No thanks,” Tony said before taking a sip. He prodded Clint to continue his story.

“Hostels were a bargain but I was running out of money fast. I met a guy who had a job in France, so I went. The train tickets were dirt cheap so I got moved when I was bored. Most farms needed a farmhand; I worked in exchange for room and board. I did that all over Europe, three weeks here, two months there. I learned how woodworking from an old man in Romania. Plumbing in Munich. Electrical work in Prague. All that and I never learned to cook.” Clint laughed, leaning back against the booth.

“Ha, I never learned to cook either. Maybe I could make a cooking bot. I think DUM-E or Butterfingers might be able to do it, but go on. You were telling me how you seduced Natasha.”

“There was no seduction. We met in Budapest. I got her out of a tricky situation then she bolted. I wrote her off. But a few days later, I ended up in a fight outside a nightclub. This drunk guy with something to prove, you know the kind. And Nat saved me. She was totally condescending, saying I couldn’t survive on my own. I don’t know why but I trusted her instantly, which is unusual for me. We traveled more, returned to the states. She went to college and I got a job. We’ve been best friends since,” Clint covered his face with his hands, “sorry, I am rambling.”

Tony pulled Clint’s hands away and groaned, “so you are saying there wasn’t a seduction? No torrid love affair? No explosions? You weren’t spies for different government agencies ala Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Your stories suck.”

Dropping a kiss on Tony’s temple, Clint continued, “Nat always seemed like a sister to me. More than a sister, like a soul mate but without the romantic crap. She is beautiful inside and out. People think she’s cold but she is truly all heart. I love her and I couldn’t imagine life without her.”

Nodding in understanding, Tony said “Steve and I are like that. When I had to move to California; distance didn’t matter. We talked on the phone every single day. Then he started hanging out with that little shit, Bucky. It felt like a betrayal. I was heartbroken. I still get jealous of them. Their relationship, their marriage. Not that I wanted Steve to be my boyfriend but I wanted his attention. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s not like that with Rhodey or Pepper. God, this is embarrassing,” Tony dropped his voice to a whisper as his cheeks flushed red.

Clint nodded in understanding so Tony continued, “to be honest, I do like Bucky. He is a good man and he’s still head over heels in love with Steve.”

A snort escaped from Clint, “your secrets are safe with me, Babe.”

“Babe?” Thrilled with an opportunity to escape the humiliating conversation, Tony played along with Clint.

“Yup, you are a total babe!” Clint gestured towards the door, “Want to get out of here? We could go back to my place and watch Dog Cops.”

Both men reached for their wallets as Tony complained, “Honestly, that show sounds awful. It’s a cartoon about dogs being cops.”

They batted at each other’s hands, trying to pay the bill.

“I invited you.”

“No, technically, I asked you and I am a billionaire.”

Clint stopped to roll his eyes at Tony, “really? You are going to play that card?”

Shrugging, Tony dropped some cash on the table and dragged Clint away from the booth, “you mentioned bad tv?”

“Bad tv? You are going to get schooled, Mr. Teacher Man. Dog Cops is great television. Sergeant Whiskers should have won an Oscar or an Emmy.”

Their argument continued as they left the tavern, Clint refusing to believe that animated character could not win a Best Actor award.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	12. Chapter 12

<---IronHawk---<

Tony followed Clint home, a small ranch style home, parking on the street when Clint took the driveway for his truck. Clint held out his hand, “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Tugging him into the garage workshop, Clint showed off a current project, a game table with hidden storage and defined areas for each player. Tony geeked out over the table, rubbing the smooth surface of the sealed wood, “you are really good.”

“You are such a Nerd! I bet you want one now so you can play Dungeons and Dragons.”

“No shame in being a D&D nerd. Yes, I want one. Then Rhodey would never leave.” Tony kissed Clint’s cheek, dropping his arm around Clint’s shoulder, “I do want one but I am thinking of a darker wood. Oh, but instead of the D&D logo inlay in the middle, we can drop a monitor in there and one of my holographic projectors so we can play more than just D&D. I could turn the dining room into a game room.”

Tony’s eyes glazed over as he thought about getting blackout curtains for the dining room so they could play day or night. He tried to recall the size of the room but he hadn’t been in it since he first moved in. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Tony asked Jarvis to measure the room. Quite some time must have passed because when Tony had come to, he and Jarvis had sketched out a design for the table and the room.

Clint leaned against the wall, watching, an indulgent smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Sorry, I get caught up,” Tony apologized.

“Nah, I like seeing you work. Come on, I’ll make some popcorn and we can watch Dog Cops.”

The house was cozy with simple furnishings and neutral colors. There were a few framed photos of Clint and Natasha on the mantle. Tony giggled at baby-faced Clint sporting a super blond feathered mullet, hugging a teenaged Natasha, “you were a twink.”

“Make yourself at home,” Clint called out as he headed to the kitchen.

“A single man, living alone; I thought this place would be a pigsty.”

Laughing, Clint threw a packet of popcorn into the microwave, “it wasn’t dirty but messy. Empty pizza boxes, a few beer bottles, folded laundry that never made it to the dresser. I cleaned up in hopes that you would come home with me tonight.”

Tony rocked on his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets, “I guess your gamble paid off.”

They settled on the couch together, popcorn in between them. Clint turned the tv on and searched for the very first episode. Tony hated to admit it but Dog Cops was pretty funny. By episode two, the popcorn was on the coffee table and they were holding hands.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh-snort at a Sergeant Whiskers chasing down literal cat burglar, and Clint kissed him lightly on the cheek. Tony turned towards Clint, tucking his leg under him. Titling his face upward, he allowed Clint to deepen the kiss. Once their arms wrapped around each other, Tony took the opportunity to pepper kisses along Clint’s jaw until he was placing open mouth kisses down his neck.

Groaning in frustration, Clint pulled away, “Tony, I don’t want to rush but I really like you. I wanna have sex but we don’t have to or anything. I just love having you in my arms.”

Nodding in agreement, “I’m not ready for the next step, to be honest.” Tony smiled as he tucked himself back in Clint’s arms.

Clint rubbed his large warm hands along Tony’s back, “we can take as much time as you need. I tend to jump in, letting sex define the relationship then realizing there isn’t a relationship.”

“I was the same way until Pepper. Losing her was harder than I ever imagined. Then after everything, I didn’t want to be vulnerable again. I’ve been trying to keep my heart safe.”

“I know you have been through some stuff, you were all over the news last year. If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

Tony snorted, “not exactly first date conversation, a beloved family friend tried to have me killed so he could take over my company.”

“Yeah, well, when you are ready, you can tell me the whole story. I’ll even return the favor by telling you how my brother left me for dead.”

“Well, aren’t we a sad pair?” Tony smile wavered but within a split second, it turned into a playful smirk, “hey, how about we make out some more?”

Clint kissed him hard, pushing him back into the couch, “I’m not sad now.”

<---IronHawk---<

At two a.m, Tony tried to enter his house quietly; toeing off his shoes by the door and leaving the lights off. He made it past the living room before the kitchen lights turned on.

Rhodey was tapping his fingers on the tabletop with a disappointed look on his face, “Out past curfew, young man? Jarvis, what time is it?”

“Well past his midnight curfew, Colonel,” intoned Jarvis.

“Haha, you boys are ridiculous,” Tony drank a full glass of water before refilling his cup and joining Rhodey at the table.

“Did you wrap it up? No glove, no love.”

Tony debated emptying his glass into Rhodey’s face but he recalled the many times he had asked his friend the exact same thing after a date. “We didn’t get that far. Just made out a little. Clothes stayed on, Dad!” Unable to stop himself, Tony gushed, “I really like him, Rhodey. We had a great time at dinner then we watched a dumb tv show and fell asleep on his couch under this huge purple fleece monstrosity. And he’s really talented, not just archery.”

Rhodey nodded along as Tony talked about Clint; Clint’s work, Clint’s kisses, Clint’s archery, Clint’s strong hands, Clint’s desire for a dog, Clint’s ever-changing eye color. The longer he talked, the lower his body slid in his chair. He sleepily told Rhodey his second date ideas, his head drooping until his chin was almost touching his chest.

Trying hard not to roll his eyes, Rhodey manhandled Tony into a standing position and started walking him to his bedroom.

Tony staggered towards his bed but Rhodey stopped him, “go hit the head, man. Then you can sleep.”

“Did I tell you about his hands? They are so warm and rough. A working man’s hands.”

“Tony, go to the bathroom,” Recalling the many times he had found Tony asleep standing up at the sink or curled up next to the bathtub, Rhodey decided to wait until Tony was tucked into bed before leaving him.

The morning had Tony making French toast and sausage links as he repeated everything he had told Rhodey the previous night.

Swallowing his coffee in two gulps, Rhodey called for reinforcement on the kitchen holographic screen, “Pepper, help me! He won’t stop.”

“Is he trying to buy NASA again? Tony, you can’t take over the federal space program because you didn’t like the latest shuttle design.”

Tony stole a sausage from Rhodey’s plate, “there isn’t enough cargo room. How are you going to build a station on Mars if there isn’t room for both a vehicle and building equipment? And what about...”

Rolling his eyes, Rhodey interrupted Tony, “No, Tones went on a date last night and it’s full on puppy love.”

“Really, Tony? You are dating?”

Tony smiled openly, “Pep of my life, I am getting married. We are taking it slow but I am gonna marry this man. I want you to come out and meet him.”

“Oh, this is serious, isn’t it?” Her hand fluttered before she covered her mouth.

“Second date is tonight. Sky diving? Or there is that ziplining obstacle course near the school,” Tony split the projected screen down the middle and Jarvis brought up two websites.

“Or you could go to the movies? Or a dance club? A local rock show?” Rhodey suggested.

“Or bowling,” Pepper added helpfully, “you have a heart condition.”

“I don't have a heart condition,” Tony argued when his phone dinged, He pulled it from his pocket and found a text from Clint. He read it out loud to Pepper and Rhodey, “Had a great time with you last night. Tonight still work? Want to try trapeze? They have a set-up at the gymnastics place in town. Pizza after?”

Pepper gave a long suffering sigh, “I will be there next weekend. And I get to be Maid of Honor.”

Rhodey tried to keep a very antsy Tony occupied for the rest of the day. He dragged him to Bucky’s gym to play basketball with Steve and Bucky.

Well, his friend’s attempts to distract him worked, Tony thought. He was frustrated, yet again, that Rhodey and Bucky got along. They were both smart, athletic, and with their military backgrounds, Tony couldn’t help his jealous feelings when they got together. Freaking Bucky got along with everyone.

Steve must have guessed Tony’s emotional turmoil and dragged him to the rowing machines. He pestered Tony about his date and clapped him on the back when he said they were going on a second date that night.

Trapeze and pizza, Tony mused, that Clint was something else.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can totally see Tony trying to buyout NASA...


	13. Chapter 13

<---IronHawk---<

Rhodey had decided to watch the game, which game, Tony honestly didn’t know, at Steve and Bucky’s house. This meant Tony could dress for his date without the peanut gallery.

Tony applied extra antiperspirant under his arms, “Jarvis, why do they call it the peanut gallery?”

“Its origins may be in the audience of the Howdy Doody show,” Jarvis started.

“I remember that show.”

“According to Wikipedia: ‘A peanut gallery was, in the days of vaudeville, a nickname for the cheapest and ostensibly rowdiest seats in the theater, the occupants of which were often known to heckle the performers. Phrases such as "no comments from the peanut gallery" or "quiet in the peanut gallery" are extensions of the name’ End quote.”

“Well, it’s nice to dress on my own without the peanut gallery,” Tony pulled on a pair of black jogger pants and a soft gray t-shirt. He glanced through his sneaker collection, grabbing his electric blue high tops, “I need a pop of color.”

He was deciding between his plain black hoodie or his black hoodie with a gray horizontal stripe when his doorbell rang.

“Sir, if I may, the sweatshirt with the gray stripe is a slim fit. It will showcase your shoulders and trim waist.”

Tony grabbed the hoodie at Jarvis’ recommendation, “You, my friend, are quite fashionable for not having a body.” Tony made his way to the front door as he thanked his AI.

At the door, Clint was rocking back and forth on his heels. He was in a workout outfit, like Tony, long pants and jacket. Smiling broadly, he leaned to kiss Tony hello.

Patting his pockets, Tony had his phone and wallet. He stepped back and grabbed his sunglasses from the entry table. Closing the door behind him, Tony accepted Clint’s hand as they made their way to the truck.

“Trapeze, huh? I guess someone had dreams of flying through the big top.”

Clint bit back a laugh, “you could say that.”

Tony side-eyed Clint, the other man’s shoulder shook in silent laughter, “Come on, Legolas. Spill.”

“Kinda grew up in the circus. It’s where I learned archery. I’m not great at the trapeze or high wire but I’m better than the average person.”

“Huh, grew up in the circus.” Tony stared at Clint, nodding slowly, “You did, didn’t you? How is that possible? Where your parents performers?”

They drove through Tony’s neighborhood and connected to the main road. Clint shrugged nonchalantly but didn’t settle back into his relaxed stance, “Nah, we were foster kids. Shuffled from one place to another. Things weren’t great at the group home and one day, Barney, that’s my older brother, he said to grab my stuff. Carson’s Traveling Circus would take us if we worked hard.”

Recalling that Clint had mentioned his brother had left him for dead, Tony used the rest of the driving time to the gymnasium to distract Clint with silly questions about circus life. The tension was gone and Clint was openly laughing as he explained how to give an elephant a bath, “The worst was when Ellie peed, it was like a fire hose.”

“Her name was Ellie the Elephant?”

“Eleanor the Elephant but I called her Ellie.”

Arriving at the gym, Clint removed his jacket to reveal a tank top. Tony was captivated by Clint’s toned arms. Who knew that arms turned him on? Seriously? An arm kink? What is happening, Tony asked himself as his suppressed the urge to lick Clint’s biceps.

A light cough took Tony out of his head and he had to take his eyes off of Clint’s glorious arms. A staff person was standing next to Clint, the gym’s logo splashed across the front of their t-shirt. Tony threw out his hand to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Tony. I’m Alexi.”

Clint led them through the gymnasium to a long section along the far wall had trapeze bars hanging from the ceiling with large nets below. The rest of the gym was filled with mats, balance beams, parallel bars, and high bars.

“So, when are you going to come work for me?” Alexi asked Clint.

“Sorry, man. I am full up with jobs right now. Maybe I can fill in now and then.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alexi nodded to Clint and turned to Tony, “have fun.”

Surprised, Tony asked, “Aren’t you going to show us the ropes so to speak?”

“I’ll handle the lines from below. Clint will take care of you, up top.”

Turning around, Tony saw Clint dropping his pants to reveal his gym shorts beneath. Biting his lip, Tony held back a snort. For someone who had such an impressive physique, Clint sort of had chicken legs. He did have a very nice ass. Very nice.

Tony took his own jacket off then following Clint’s example, his socks and shoes.

“Want to stretch?” Clint asked him as he squatted into a deep lunge.

“Nah, I prefer to watch,” Tony said as he stared openly at Clint’s butt.

Shaking his ass, Clint smiled brightly as switched legs, “Come on, old man, stretch.”

After stretches, they reviewed the equipment and lingo. “We’ll try swinging and falling safely into the net. Then I’ll show you how to hang from your knees. Sounds good?”

“Yup,” Tony shook the net to check the tension.

Clint held out a safety harness, strapping Tony into it.

“You kinky bastard,” Tony quipped, “we didn’t even discuss my safe word.”

Smirking, Clint leaned in and whispered, “my safe word is William Tell ”

Rolling his eyes in amusement, Tony climbed the ladder to the shorter bar with Clint belaying for him. Once Tony was on the small platform, he unhooked his harness and connected it to the safety line. Clint scrambled up the ladder without a harness, hopping around the platform. He popped a kiss on Tony’s cheek before sending his safety line below to Alexi.

Clint handed the fly bar to Tony, “Swing a few times then fall on your back. Alexi will keep you safe.”

Tony wrapped his hands around the steel bar, tugging to test its pull.

“Yell out ‘listo’ when you are ready.”

Inhaling for several seconds, Tony held his breath for several seconds before releasing it. He gripped the bar tightly and shouted, “Listo.”

Tony swung out, his body hanging from the bar and flying through the air. It was exhilarating. He swung back and forth. He wanted to pull his legs up and hook them over the bar to swing from his legs.

“Tony, I know what you are thinking. Take it easy for your first time. Want to try dropping?” Clint shouted so he could be heard.

Tony tried to figure out when to drop, should he let go on his way back out to the middle or on his way back in? Deciding his was overthinking it, he let go as he passed the middle, curving slightly so he would land on his back.

He bounced on the net several times before he rolled towards Alexi. Scrambling out of the net, Alexi helped him to the ground. Tony whooped with joy, yelling up to Clint, “can I go again?”

At the ladder, Alexi tugged Tony back, “hold on, we have to switch lines.”

Tony swung on the trapeze several times, getting a feel for it and the drop. He even managed to untangle his harness from the netting on his own, “can I swing from the knees now?”

Clint recliped the safety line, “go for it.”

Swinging back and forth, he pulled his legs up until he was in position. Hooking them over the bar, he debated letting go of the bar. He waited one more swing before he released the bar. Swinging upside down, Tony let his arms hang as he swung from his knees, “Woo hoo!”

Back on the ground, Tony whooped again. Clint came down the ladder and picked up Tony into a bear hug. Clint spun him around and kissed him before letting go.

“Clint, this is so awesome,” Tony couldn’t stop grinning, “this is the best date ever.”

“Good.”

“Will you go? You haven’t had a turn.”

Clint nodded at Alexi and the two men went up the ladder without harnesses.

Tony called up, “don’t you need me to belay your lines?”

“Nah, we are good,” Clint called as he swung out to the other platform.

Tony heard Clint yelling, “hup,” and then his brain short circuited as Clint swung through the air and completed a few flips before being caught by Alexi.

Clint had said he was better than the average person but it was very obvious that he was a liar. He was a lying liar who lies.

He was spectacular, well both Alexi and Clint were. They swung, flipped, and caught each other. Mesmerized, Tony couldn’t take his eyes off of them. After about ten minutes, they flipped into the net and bounced off.

Tony only had eyes for Clint. His fit body glistening with a light sheen of sweat, his breathing slightly labored, his eyes shining. Good lord, this must be what he looked like during sex. Tony bit his lip, hard, as the urge to take Clint home was overwhelming.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! It got a little hot for Tony at the end, didn’t it?
> 
> If I have any details about trapeze wrong, please let me know. I watched a few videos and used Google to write this chapter. 
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:  
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	14. Chapter 14

<---IronHawk---<

Tony bounced on his feet as Clint got dressed. He grabbed his jacket and headed towards Clint’s truck, chattering the entire time, “it’s like flying. Literally flying through the air. I’ve always wanted to fly. I thought about building a flying suit. Maybe using repulsor technology.”

Clint laughed at his excitement, “the pizza place is a few blocks away, wanna walk?”

Sill amped up, Tony nodded, “yeah, let’s walk.” He held out his hand, taking Clint’s and winding their fingers together.

Over pepperoni pizza, Tony interrogated Clint, “When can I learn to do a flip? Do I have to sign up for a class? Do you think I can catch you sometime? What about throwing a third person? Like could you and Alex throw me back and forth? You mentioned the high wire earlier, can you really walk it?”

“I am glad you liked it. They have classes a few evenings a week but if you don’t mind, I’d like to be the one teaching you.”

“Your kinky dom side is showing!” Tony teased, “so, high wire?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Clint nodded, “yeah, once you get your balance, it’s not bad.”

“Can you tell me more circus stories? Not anything that might upset you. I imagine it wasn’t an ideal childhood but if you don’t mind, I’d love to hear about Baby Clint on the trapeze.”

“Some of it was fun. Barney and I mucked and cleaned after the animals. We helped with concessions. Sometimes we would stand in for Alonzo, the knife thrower, or Trickshot, he was the archer, when they needed to practice new tricks. The acrobats were also tightrope walkers and they did trapeze. They were a family, the Kowalskis. They had three kids. Sometimes, they included us in their acts.” Clint took a long sip of his soda, “Annalise had the horses. She let us ride them and I would do tricks, like handstands while the horse went around the ring.”

Tony was captivated, leaning in as he asked, “You did a handstand while on top of a moving horse?”

“Lots of people do that, it’s a sport called vaulting. Lots of kids do it.” Clint saw Tony’s incredulous face, “I swear, it’s non-circus kids.”

Pulling out his phone, Tony looked up vaulting and found that Clint was right, “Holy shit, these kids are crazy. This is dangerous!”

Watching video clip after video clip, Tony muttered about the size of the horses, breaking necks, and risky tricks. Glancing back at Clint, he couldn’t help but smile, “okay, so how did you end up as an archer?”

“Trickshot taught us how to shoot. We were both pretty good but one day, I was fooling around. I was standing on Moonlight as she was trotting around the ring. I was shooting targets as we went around. So I was put in the show as Hawkeye, the World’s Greatest Archer. They billed me as the boy who couldn’t miss.”

“Hawkeye. I love it,” Tony grabbed another slice and dropped it on Clint’s plate. “Eat. I’ve been pestering you.”

They finished their pizza and Tony offered dessert at his home, “Jarvis ordered groceries and I have four tubs of ice cream.”

“Your place, huh?”

“Yup,” Tony moved in close so he could kiss Clint, “take me home, Katniss.”

<---IronHawk---<

“You have a biometric door lock on your front door?”

“Locks can be picked,” Tony opened the front door and dropped his sunglasses and wallet in the bowl by the door, “Jarvis, this is Clint; Clint, this is Jarvis.”

“Hello, Mr. Barton.”

Clint looked towards the ceiling, “uh, nice to meet you, Jarvis.” Looking around the room, Clint noted a few small cameras, “Jarvis, I am not sure where I should look when I talk to you? The speakers? The cameras?”

“I do not have a preference, Mr. Barton, but I appreciate your consideration.” Jarvis’ tone seemed fond, “I would like to thank you for the tie. Sir has placed it on my server rack in the workshop.”

Tony grinned at Clint as his eyes darted from the speakers to the closest camera, “How about ice cream? We have mint chocolate chip, moose tracks, french vanilla, and, uh, Jarvis?”

“Butter pecan, Sir.”

“Thanks, J,” Tony said as he guided Clint into the kitchen, “Let's get a couple of scoops and I’ll show you my workshop. You can see T.P. and meet his older brothers.”

They argued over ice cream flavors, shoving each other to steal bites from each other. Clint dipped the tip of his finger in Tony’s bowl then smeared it across Tony’s face as the other man struggled.

“Lemme clean you up, Tony,” Clint leaned forward and slowly dragged the tip of his tongue up Tony’s cheek before moving in for a kiss.

The simple kiss led to an intense makeout session against the kitchen counter. When Clint’s hands made their way down to cup Tony’s ass, they groaned in unison. Tony couldn’t help but try to climb Clint.

Chuckling, Clint turned them and hoisted Tony up on the counter, Tony locked his legs around Clint’s waist as they kissed, their hands trying to slip under each other’s shirts.

Clint tore himself away, leaving Tony sitting on the counter; both of them breathing heavily. Their ice cream, melted and forgotten.

“You,” Clint panted, barely able to speak, “you are something else.”

“I just can’t get enough of you,” Tony admitted, his stomach clenching uncomfortably with the honest admission.

Offering Tony a hand, Clint smiled boyishly, “Good; now let’s go play with your bots.”

Within minutes, Clint was swarmed by large claws and camera eyes. All the bots wore their bowties proudly as T.P. circled around, lifting his cap and bending forward.

“Is he bowing? Are you? T.P.? You are!” Clint patted the small bot as he giggled.

DUM-E showed off his fire extinguisher and new fire blanket while U tried to herd Clint towards his charging area, decorated haphazardly with stalkery photos of Clint. Butterfingers made them smoothies that looked suspiciously non-poisonous.

“J, what is happening?” Tony asked as he watched the chaos, “and how did U get those pics?”

“Sir, they consider Mr. Barton to be a friend. They completed several searches on the internet and U found Tumblr. He ‘stans’ Mr. Barton.”

Clint giggled again, “I guess that explains the traffic cam photos of me.”

“And the smoothies?”

“Butterfingers has been practicing. Colonel Rhodes reorganized the workshop kitchen area so the motor oil is no longer in the vicinity of the blender,” Jarvis pulled up footage on a holographic screen of Rhodey explaining that motor oil is toxic and T.P. assisting him in stocking the small fridge with yogurt and fruit.

Tony groaned, “I am guessing Rhodey gave DUM-E the fire blanket too?”

“Yes, Sir. Safety first.”

DUM-E was shaking the fire blanket at Clint as he laughed, “I love them, Tony. They are so freaking amazing.”

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing the bots falling in love with Clint. 
> 
> Vaulting is a thing, I didn’t make it up - Google it. My daughter’s friend does it and it scares the hell out of me. I am so thankful that my daughter is scared of horses.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr: <http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


	15. Chapter 15

<---IronHawk---<

They spent three hours in the workshop with the bots when a tiny yawn from Tony had Clint hustling him into the house, “Geniuses need their sleep.”

“Thank you, Mr. Barton. Sir hasn’t slept more than six hours over the course of the past three days.”

“Tattletale,” Tony stuck his tongue out towards the kitchen camera and complained, “I don’t want our date to end.”

Clint pulled Tony into a hug, resting his forehead against Tony’s, “I don’t either but you have to be up early for school.”

Tony popped a kiss on the tip of Clint’s nose, “state mandatory testing tomorrow so I don’t have to go in since Coulson doesn’t trust me to proctor tests. He says I’ll get distracted and start designing something. For the record, that’s only twice this quarter.”

“Your friend will be home soon and you need to get some sleep.”

“Colonel Rhodes texted, he will be spending the night with Mr. Rogers and Sergeant Barnes,” Jarvis piped in helpfully.

Tony grinned at Clint, “Good, then you can put me to bed.”

“Just sleep, though. I’m not easy,” Clint followed Tony to his bedroom, “I only put out after the third date.”

Grabbing sleep pants and a loose t-shirt, Tony gestured towards the bathroom, “Want first shower?”

“Sure,” Clint accepted the clothes, “by the way, I usually sleep in the nude.”

Groaning in frustration, Tony shoved him into the bathroom, “Towels are there and new toothbrushes are in the cabinet.

Alone, Tony laid back on his bed, covering his face with his hands. He wanted Clint so bad. Tony loved how responsive he was to caresses and kisses. His body was so warm, so firm. His eyes darkened when he was aroused and God, did Tony want to see him aroused again. The kitchen makeout was PG, maybe PG13, and Tony wanted so much more, “I’m gonna need a cold shower.”

Later in bed, Clint rolled on his side to watch Tony. He ran his hand up and down Tony’s arm as they talked about Tony’s job and leaving Stark Industries behind, “do you really like teaching? Is it as fulfilling as creating new projects?”

Tony held Clint’s hand, their fingers linked together, and brought it up to his mouth for a kiss, “yeah, I like teaching. It’s not as satisfying as collaborating on a project with other engineers. I think teaching would be better if the students wanted to be there, not just get credit. I have a few students that are really into science and engineering. I don’t think I’d like teaching college anymore than high school. I think college would be more of the same, follow the syllabus, teach to the book so kids can get a good grade. No free-thinking, exploring, failing.”

“You are too far away,” Clint tugged and pulled until Tony was plastered to his side. “So this isn’t a long term career for you?”

Tony rested his face on Clint’s chest, melting a little into his warmth, “I don’t think so. But I don’t want to go back to SI either. He took that from me. Stane.”

Clint rubbed Tony’s back, “I know, I’m sorry.”

“Pepper has weeded out all his people in the company. There are three still left on the board; they won’t accept a buyout. But Pepper won’t give up. Not like I did.”

Tony grew quiet, Clint wondered if he had fallen asleep when he spoke again.

“One day, I’ll go back. Maybe take the R&D division and turn it into a non-profit. Or start a whole new company. One that isn’t tainted.”

Humming, Clint cuddled Tony closer, “yeah, what would you build?”

“Clean energy is now SI’s mission and that helps the world but want to go small scale. I want to help individual people. Medical devices, something better than my pacemaker. Maybe advanced prosthetics. Artificial skin. There is a doctor in Seoul who is creating tissue with nano-molecules. It doesn’t get rejected.”

Clint shifted around until he could see Tony’s face, his voice low and urgent, “you didn’t tell me you had a pacemaker. I had you swinging through the air and you have a heart condition.”

Shifting up on his elbows, Tony half sat up, “it’s not a heart condition, per se.”

“This is not a joking matter, Tony. What if you had a heart attack?”

Seeing Clint’s panic, Tony turned and straddled him, rubbing his hands up and down on Clint’s arms, “No heart attack, I promise. When I was kidnapped, um,” Tony paused and breathed hard through his nose, “there was shrapnel, near my heart. In the desert, a man, a good man, um, he fashioned a magnetic device to keep the shrapnel away from my heart. It would have torn my heart apart. When I was back, the hospital, they worried the device would not stay powered so they implanted a small battery similar to a pacemaker. I am fine, my heart is fine unless both the arc reactor and the pacemaker fail which is statistically impossible, okay?”

“Is the shrapnel still there?”

Tony nodded, “I am okay. It sounds more dangerous than it is.”

“Arc reactor? Isn’t that your clean energy source?” Clint asked as he gently placed his hand over Tony’s chest, feeling the hard housing of the arc reactor beneath the shirt.

“Yup, it’s clean and sustainable. Under Pepper’s guidance, Stark Industries will be known as the leader in clean energy, not weapons,” Tony wiggled on top to Clint, leaning forward to kiss him.

Clint moaned, biting at Tony’s jaw, “this conversation is too heavy. I am glad that man saved your life. You’ll have to tell me about him someday.” He thrust upwards as Tony rutted up against him.

“Oh god, Clint,” Tony felt feverish and so alive.

They groaned in unison as they continued to grind against each other. Clint’s hands moved to cup Tony’s ass, “I’m gonna come in my pants.”

Tony pushed Clint’s shirt up, revealing his golden skin, “maybe we should take our pants off,”

“Goddamnit, you are irresistible,” Hooking their legs together, Clint smoothly flipped them over until Tony was beneath him. He kissed Tony deeply then pulled away to roll off.

“I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop, Clint,” Tony grabbed a pillow and covered his face, “I really really want you.”

Clint laughed as he pulled the pillow away, “I know. I really really want you too. But I want more than sex. For the first time in my life, I want more.”

In the dim light, Tony could see the vulnerability on Clint’s face. He wondered if his own face matched, he whispered, “I want that, too.”

Laying side by side, they held hands. Not accustomed to sharing their intimate feelings, they enjoyed the silence for several minutes.

Twisting around, Clint sat up and gestured to his ears, “I am going to take my hearing aids out. If you want to talk to me, can you please poke me so I can put them back in?”

Nodding, Tony watched as Clint popped the purple aids from his ears, dropping them on the nightstand. He tugged Clint back down but the larger man shifted them until Tony was cuddled up against him. With Tony’s head on Clint’s chest, they joined hands again. Clint’s thumb caressed the top of Tony’s hand even after his breathing had evened out. Adjusting the blankets, Clint pressed a kiss to Tony’s forehead before allowing his own eyes to close.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so close...but no sex…
> 
> Proctoring tests is easy except for the rule about proctors not using computer/smartphone when students are taking the tests. I can’t imagine Tony sitting still or not using some form of technology so it would totally make sense for Phil to “excuse” him.


	16. Chapter 16

<---IronHawk---<

“Excuse me, Jarvis?”

“How can I assist you, Mr. Barton?”

Clint looked up towards the kitchen camera, “I’d like to make coffee but this machine seems way beyond your typical Mr. Coffee.”

The machine lit up by itself, gurgling as the water filled the reservoir, “Do you like your coffee strong, Mr. Barton?”

“Yes, please. Jarvis, do you think you could call me Clint?”

Clint heard a laugh from the doorway; a stranger, in shorts and a t-shirt, walked into the kitchen. He used his shirt to wipe sweat from his brow.

“Good luck with that. He still calls me Colonel and I was there when he was born.”

“Good morning, Colonel Rhodes,” Jarvis said snarkily.

“I’m James Rhodes, you must be Clint. I just got back from a run, let me wash up before shaking your hand,” Rhodey went to the sink and washed his hands, “how do you take your coffee?”

Thirty minutes later, Tony found them laughing hysterically, “Oh God, you didn’t tell him the frat party story did you?”

“Wait, I am missing out. I wanna hear that story,” Clint complained as he poured Tony a cup.

The two men kissed good morning as Rhodey made kissy noises at them.

Clint turned back to Rhodey, “finish your story then tell me about the frat party.”

They spent the morning relaxing, telling stories, and raiding the kitchen for snacks.

Fiddling with schematics on his tablet, Tony found himself lost in thought. He couldn’t believe how much he liked Clint. Here he was, in his home, with Jarvis and Rhodey, with his bots. Clint was a part of his life, not on the outskirts. He truly couldn’t wait to introduce him to Pepper. Tony looked up to ask Jarvis to call Pepper when he realized he was alone.

“Jarvis? Where did Clint and Rhodey go?”

“Colonel Rhodes is taking a shower. Mr. Barton is taste-testing smoothies with the bots.”

Tony made his way to the workshop and smiled at the scene before him. Clint was sitting on the workshop table talking with U and Butterfingers. The counters were a mess of fruit peels and leafy greens. DUM-E was beeping insistently as he pushed a broom back and forth.

“Tony, come here and try these two samples,” Clint hopped off the counter and pulled Tony close, “tell U that just because something is good for you, doesn’t mean that it tastes good.”

Arguing that kale was good in smoothies, Tony wrapped his arms around Clint, “sorry, I get lost in thought sometimes.”

“No worries, babe,” Clint hugged him closer, “you were really focused. Rhodey even poked you and you didn’t even notice. What’s on your mind?”

“You. Us. I know this is fast. Really fast but you are already part of my world. I want more, I want to be in your world too. Meet your friends, etcetera, etcetera.”

Clint giggled, “did you just say etcetera? And you know my friends, Natasha and Phil. You met Alexi last night.”

“Wait, you are friends with Phil? I thought he was just a client.”

Cleaning up the mess on the counter, Clint put away ingredients and threw out trash, “Nat introduced us a few years ago. He’s a good guy. I don’t know which one of you is a bigger nerd, though.”

Double bagging the trash, Clint asked if DUM-E wanted to take it out to the curb. The bot chirped happily.

“Wait, he’s never left the workshop.” Tony watched in horror as DUM-E hit the door frame before squeezing through, his claw hanging low, carrying the trash bag an inch off the floor.

DUM-E returned, hitting the opposite side of the door frame before bustling inside to Clint’s praise.

“You gotta let children spread their wings and fly,” Clint said cheekily.

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Tony communicating? Talking about his feelings? That’s crazy!


	17. Chapter 17

<---IronHawk---<

Rhodey interrupted an intense makeout session in the workshop by whistling through his fingers, “Dinner at Steve’s; he’s been texting for the last hour.”

Dragging himself away from Clint’s glorious lips, Tony complained, “Platypus, a little privacy please.”

“Dude, you are making out in front of 50 cameras and impressionable bot children,” Rhodey grabbed Tony, pulling him away from Clint, “go hit the showers.”

Tony tried to put Rhodey into a headlock but they ended up wrestling, falling to the ground in a heap.

Clint laughed at their antics, “all right boys, I am going to head out.” He tugged Tony up into a sitting position then pulled him up, “can I get a kiss goodbye?”

Blinking in confusion, Tony couldn’t fathom why Clint would leave, “Huh?”

“You are invited to Steve and Bucky’s too, Clint,” Rhodey said as he got to his feet.

Projecting a screen, Jarvis displayed Steve’s rash of text messages demanding to officially meet Clint. The final message said that he had invited Natasha and she had promised to bring Clint.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Clint saw he had several text messages, “I guess she is picking me up at five. Apparently, we are in charge of desserts.”

“So you’ll come to Steve’s?” Tony asked.

Pecking Tony on the lips, Clint smiled, “Yes. I would love to meet your friends and spend more time with you.” Then dropping his voice to whisper, “plus I am scared of Nat.”

Agreeing to meet at Steve’s, Clint headed home to get ready while Rhodey directed Tony back into the house.

Showered and dressed, Tong found Rhodey in the kitchen making potato salad.

Declining Tony’s offer to help, Rhody asked him to grab a bottle of tequila from the liquor cabinet, “they are low on tequila for the margaritas.”

Immediately upon arrival, Steve scooped up Tony into a bear hug, whisper-yelling in his ear, “I’ve heard things are going well with Clint. I can’t wait to meet him officially.”

Tony’s face broke into a huge smile, “he took me on a trapeze. I swung through the air with the greatest of ease.”

The men giggled as Bucky and Rhodey rolled their eyes at them. After handing out assignments, Bucky went to barbecue while Rhodey made a pitcher of spicy margaritas.

Ignoring the salad, Steve settled Tony on the couch, “Give me all the details before he and Natasha get here.”

“Seriously, a trapeze, Steve. I learned to swing and fall, then I swung from my knees. He’s going to show me how to do flips and catches.” Tony gripped Steve’s shoulder, “you should see him. He was in these little gym shorts and tank top, flipping and twisting. It was breathtaking, he is breathtaking.”

“Trapeze sounds really fun. I want to try it,” Steve said as he poked Tony in the side, making him squeal, “Rhodey said that Clint spent the night.”

“He did,” Tony smiled innocently, giving nothing away when there was a knock at the door, “saved by the bell.”

Tony and Steve shoved each other as they tried to open the door at the same time. Steve won, pushing Tony behind him as he welcomed Clint and Natasha.

Natasha gave Tony a look that he couldn’t decipher before kissing his cheek. She turned and grabbed a large bakery box from Clint’s hands before heading towards the kitchen.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Clint shook Steve’s hand and tugged Tony close for a kiss, “missed you.”

Steve watched as they stood together, talking quietly, their hands intertwined, their foreheads practically touching. He shook his head and decided that making a salad was preferable to the smitten couple, “Good lord, you’ve only been apart for two hours.”

Tony was pleased to see how comfortable Clint was with his friends. He knew that Clint had worked on Bucky’s gym but he hadn’t realized how friendly they were.

Eating dinner on the patio was fun. Bucky’s steaks had come out perfect and Rhodey’s potato salad was amazing. Tony grumbled as Steve loaded his plate with spinach salad but he saw Clint arguing with Natasha over healthy foods, specifically noting that pizza had everything: grains, protein, vegetables, fruit, and dairy. The special margaritas hit the spot, the burn of chili powder and jalapenos paired well with the sweetness of the pineapple juice.

Full and happy, Tony stretched out on a lounger and Clint took the one next to him. They chatted and drank as Steve asked Clint about his job.

“I have enough work to keep me busy both here in town and in Springfield.”

Natasha joined them, “he’s either working or at the range.”

“I always make time for you, Nat,” Clint held up his hand and she accepted it, allowing him to pull her into his lap. She cuddled up against him and stole a sip from his glass. Clint dropped a kiss on her head then startled upright, jostling her. She saved his drink from tipping before throwing him a dirty look.

“Tony, I’m sorry. Natasha and me, we aren’t,” Clint stammered an apology when Tony held up his hand to stop him.

“Babe, it’s fine. I know you are mine. No jealousy here.”

Clint nodded hesitantly, his muscles still tense. He slowly relaxed, realizing he didn’t need to brace himself for a fight. Natasha shoved at his chest until he laid back in the lounger, “people I’ve dated in the past thought it was inappropriate. They didn’t believe me when I said that Nat and I were just friends.”

Blowing Clint a kiss, Tony said, “People are idiots.”

Bucky made his way over and handed his phone to Clint, “check this out.”

Hysterical laughter escaped from Clint. Pulling the phone toward her, Natasha started giggling.

Bucky nodded at them, “Yup, keep swiping.”

Suspicious, both Steve and Tony reached for the phone. Natasha took it from Clint and threw it to Bucky. Within a split second, the backyard was filled with shouting as adults played keep away with the phone. Eventually, Rhodey had the phone and managed to scale the side of the shed, declaring himself winner. When he looked at the photos, he groaned and passed the phone to Tony, “we’ve been betrayed.”

Tony flipped from one picture to the next, his mouth hanging open, “Steve! We’ve been violated. Your husband is an asshole,” Tony paused to shove Bucky. “How far back do these go? Oh my god! Seriously? You need a fucking hobby.”

Steve accepted Bucky’s phone from Tony and reviewed over forty pictures of them cuddling or sleeping, “How long have you been taking pictures? Some of these are from college. Oh god, you have pics of us drooling. You got Rhodey, Tony, and I in a cuddle pile during that Canadian ski vacation we can’t remember.”

Laughing, Bucky gestured for Steve to keep going, “I even digitized the photos from when we were kids. I’m thinking of making a photo book titled ‘Napping with Tony.’”

Steve planted his hands on his hips and glared at his husband, “We are not afraid to show affection or accept comfort in this house.”

“Stop with those eyes and righteous attitude,” Bucky said smugly as he swept Steve off his feet into a bridal carry. He rubbed the tip of his nose against Steve’s, “I know and I love all the fluffy schmoopy stuff,” he voice dropped into a hoarse growl, “just don’t ruin my rep as a tough guy.”

Rolling his eyes, Steve muttered “toxic masculinity” under his breath as Bucky put him back on his feet.

Rhodey hopped down from the shed and pulled Bucky into a headlock. He released him a moment later and hugged him, “you’re a big ole marshmallow.”

Tony and Clint ended up sharing a lounger while Natasha declared that she wanted Steve cuddles. They took the second lounger while Bucky and Rhodes went to get refills for everyone.

Resting his head in between Tony’s neck and shoulder, Clint whispered, “I can’t imagine a better day. Snuggling with you, hanging out with friends. Thank you for understanding about Nat.”

Titling his face up, Tony gently kissed Clint, “Baby, those others were not worthy of your love and attention. Natasha is a part of you. You should never have to choose.”

<---IronHawk---<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are old enough and enjoy alcohol, I highly recommend a pineapple jalapeno margarita on a hot day. If not, I highly recommend ice-cold pineapple orange juice. Either way, yummy and refreshing....just like Tony and Clint’s relationship.
> 
> Come say Hi on Tumblr:   
<http://goodgodhenry.tumblr.com/>


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